Into the Light-Echoes of the Past
by SirGalactica
Summary: This story is my own version of the Octo Expansion DLC for Splatoon 2. All characters and game mechanics that aren't my own and belong to the Splatoon game(s) and or other iterations, will belong to Nintendo and other properties. This has been given a high rating of M, due to the strong mentions of death and implications of child abuse. You have been warned.
1. Chapter 1

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

"Pale summer moonlight shimmers on the ocean floor.

An octopus, unaware that dawn will bring capture,

Rests within a trap, dreaming fleeting dreams…"

Will our main character succeed in getting to the Promised Land and discovering the echoes of his past, or will he die trying?

Chapter 1

You were running down a blank, empty corridor. It was like a ghost town, not even the sound of your rapid breathing registered. The lights would occasionally flicker, going bright one second, and the next almost turning off. 'C'mon, we're almost there.' a panicked, feminine voice panted. The grip of her hand around yours made you uncomfortable, but you knew you had to hold on- or else you'd be left behind.

Suddenly, something broke through the suffocating veil of silence. Alarms started blaring and red, warning lights started flashing. It only meant one thing...

You had been caught.

'ATTENTION, ATTENTION. SOLDIER 807 IS ESCAPING WITH TRAINEES 808 AND 809! SECURITY FORCES ARE REQUIRED IN SECTION A, WEST CORRIDOR!'

You suddenly stopped, the woman you were running with took off something that was attached to her chest and handed it to you quickly, yet gently. It was a baby sling, meant for a child aged at least 3 month's old. The woman slinged the charger that was attached to her back into her grasp, she looked into your eyes and placed a hand on your shoulder before saying 'Hibiki, listen to me. I need you to run. I don't care if you get tired, you need to keep going. Take your little sister and run, now go. RUN!' You saw a few armed guards about to burst through the doors of the long corridor, the baby sling that was in your hands was now wrapped around your chest; you held the sling securely as you started running.

You could hear shots and screams fade away as you ran further away, however one thing made you stop in your tracks. A loud thud and a deafening scream of pain came from a familiar voice, you looked behind you and saw the woman you were travelling with struggling to get up. She had been shot in the leg, with enemy ink on her hands and face, with her own seeping out of the open wound and onto the white floor.

She saw you looking at her, she gritted her teeth as her final words left her 'RUN, HIBIKI! GO NOW PLEASE, HURRY!' What else the woman was going to say was cut short, for she had been shot through the chest. All of her strength faded away, as her weapon dropped out of her hands and her ink painted the once white corridor, grimly. You just ran and ran, you don't remember how many soldiers were after you or how many tried to kill you.

You eventually heard your footsteps ring out onto what you assumed to be a concrete platform; you had grown so tired that your strength had suddenly given way- and you collapsed onto the floor. Your memories started to fade into static, flickers of it would appear every so often but would quickly vanish as they appeared, and a familiar song was playing in the distance. The song was being sung by two girls, or rather women, you could only make out the colours pink and green. They were singing, "You and me… Forever revolving around the moon and sun… We need to fuel the song… We need to give in… Give in to the one true heavenly melody… You need to hear our song…" At least that was what you remembered of it.

"Pale summer moonlight shimmers on the ocean floor.

An octopus, unaware that dawn will bring capture,

Rests within a trap, dreaming fleeting dreams…"

You heard a woman's voice tell you abruptly, 'Forgive me, Hibiki...'

You were suddenly awoken by a loud yell, the voice was of an old man and you started to regain consciousness. 'AHOY OCTOLING.'. An old man shouted, your eyes were slowly starting to open- as you saw the person the voice belonged to. He was a Cuttlefish, however similar to an Inkling- although he spoke to you in fluent Octolish- the Octarian dialect for Cephalish. He wore a white cap and glasses with a round rectangular frame; he wore what appeared to be a green and white tracksuit with war medals attached to them and white socks with grey slip on shoes. 'Up and at 'm, ya lazy whiffle-waffle.' You noticed his hands and body were shaking, his right hand held onto what looked like an old automatic Bamboosler from the past- that had since been turned into a walking cane.

'Last thing I remember, you were battling my protégé Agent 3 in Octo Valley... when suddenly both of you were attacked by someone.' The old man stated in recollection, as though the gears of his mind had become stiff and rusty, and needed the oil of memories to fix it. Your head pounded for an unknown reason, you gingerly reached a hand up to your forehead and touched it lightly. You winced slightly as you felt a small, but deep cut that would send sharp shocks of pain, if it was even touched with pressure as light as a feather. It dawned on you that you couldn't remember anything that happened previously, even the memories that you had since a young child were now blurry and static filled, like a tape that had been played so many times- that the footage reels had become worn with age.

'But where are my manners... I haven't even told you my name! I'm Cap'n Cuttlefish, leader of the legendary New Squidbeak Splatoon.'. It took you a few minutes to gather yourself, as you tried to remember what you could- your name began with an "H". _**"I know that, so I'm…"**_

'I'm... Hibiki...' you croaked out in a hoarse manner. _**"Yes, that's my name… At least, that's what the voice said..."**_, you thought to yourself. Cap'n Cuttlefish looked at you, then at your chest. You let out a gasp filled with fright; you had forgotten your little sister was travelling with you. You looked down to see that your little sister was still contentedly asleep and wrapped up safely in the baby sling, how she didn't hear Cap'n Cuttlefish yelling at the top of his lungs- was a mystery to you. 'She doesn't have a name yet... we tend to give children names when they full open their eyes...' you said in an apologetic tone.

He looked at you with a look of understanding. He then held out his hand to help you up. Oddly enough, you took it. He didn't seem suspicious and he most likely had the same objective as you- get to the Promised Land.

Once you were on your feet and steady enough to walk, he offered to take the baby sling from you, but you decided to politely decline; he seemed to understand why and didn't press the matter any further. He instead focused on finding a way out of where you were both currently located and as he walked through an open ticket barrier, you followed behind him.

As you looked back- you saw a brief glimpse of a woman in a white burial kimono with white stockings and small wooden sandals, her hair was tied back with two front pieces curled at the ends and what looked like a golden hair accessory was kept neatly behind her ear. As you turned to face her, she vanished and you stared at the spot where she was standing for a few moments, before you were told by Cap'n Cuttlefish to hurry up.

You looked down at your sister, before looking forward and started to walk again, _**"I hope we can find a way out of here..."**_ You thought to yourself, and as you walked, unbeknownst to you- the woman you caught a glimpse of a few seconds ago was floating right behind you. This time she had a charger strapped to her back, and had muttered to herself before completely vanishing.

'I will do my best to guide you... for I want you to go forth... and step into the light...'

Chapter 1, End.


	2. Chapter 2, Part 1

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'Now come on, ride the train. Outie 5000.'

Our main character has found a mysterious telephone in the middle of an abandoned train station, will it be his saving grace, or will it lead to his doom?

Chapter 2, Part 1

You and your newfound companion, Cap'n Cuttlefish- stumbled about a derelict subway station for a bit; until you found a long hallway beyond the subway tracks. That led from where you passed out, through to an abandoned train cart. You both suddenly stopped, when you encountered both a locked vault and a blinking, red platform with two footprints imprinted on its surface, next to it. You looked at Cap'n Cuttlefish- who gave you a look of encouragement and an open hand gesturing 'Go on.' To check it out, you then took off the baby sling and reluctantly handed it over to Cap'n Cuttlefish. Who took it from you with a warm welcome and saying hello to her- whilst bouncing her gently; this sight filled you with relief and made you trust him more.

Once you stood on the platform, an Inkrail came to life, and you swam through. On the other side; you encountered a similar platform except this one's footprints were a non-blinking, plain white, once you stepped on it a circular wall rose up with red beams scanning you and measuring your vital signs. The only option to choose from on the screen in front of you, was a Splattershot Junior as a main, with a Splat Bomb as the sub. Once you had selected it, the gear was in your hands and a full ink tank appeared on your back, all you had to do was find a key to unlock the vault in the area behind you.

After a few minutes, and a shout from your companion asking if you were ok, you found the key and swam back to the platform that gave you the weapon. Once you reached the touchpad and stepped on it again, it took the weapon back- but it let you keep the ink tank for an unknown reason, and you swam through the Inkrail again. As you turned back into your humanoid form, your companion praised you as you showed him the key, his excitement showing in a smile as he held the baby sling with experienced hands. You wondered if he had any children or grandchildren of his own, maybe even a pet of some sort.

As soon as you got close to the vault, it opened automatically and the two of you walked through. When you passed through the other side, you were greeted with the sight of what looked like a long since abandoned subway station platform, with no trains in sight. In the centre you saw the main platform and the two of you climbed up it with some difficulty, but you both managed it eventually. 'Well, we found a way out, sort of...' the old man said in a tone which could only be described as loss.

Suddenly, you both heard a phone ringing, and it can from an old telephone placed oddly in the centre of the platform. The Cap'n beckoned you to answer it and you did, the phone started off with a pixelated voice that said **[SEARCHING FOR USER ID...] [USER 10,008 CONFIRMED]**. It filled you with a sense of dread and unease from an unknown source, you could hear your little sister stirring behind you and Cap'n Cuttlefish shushing her.

An automated voice came from the phone and stated **'Greetings, 10,008. Your current location is: Deepsea Metro Central Station. My primary function is to facilitate your journey to the Promised Land. Pleased to make your acquaintance.'** You were intrigued by the mention of the Promised Land, for although you couldn't remember much at the moment, a 'Promised Land' did sound familiar. You knew that you wanted to get there, but you couldn't remember the exact reason why... _**"Didn't she-"**_, you thought to yourself before you were caught off guard by the artificial voice.

**[ASSESSING COMMUNICATION EFFICIENCY...] [EFFICIENCY: 12.42%] [ENABLING CONTEMPORARY SPEECH MODE]. **

You looked back at your acquaintance confused, who also shared an equally confused look as well. You turned your attention back to the phone as it stated, _**'What is crackalacking, home skillet? Let us bounce to the promised land fo sho.'**_ The phone continued on like this for quite some time, it mostly confused you- rather than informing you of what you needed to know, but you couldn't exactly complain. (Who would you be able to complain to?)However, what drew your attention was certain things it said, 'There have been 10,007 applicants so far, which makes you applicant 10,008... Here is your CQ-80 and CQ card. They are so bad.'

A card printed out from the front of the telephone, and a device with a joystick came out from somewhere, although you didn't want to question exactly where it came from. You were warned to look after them, and after that the phone simple said before turning off, 'Now come on, ride the train. Outie 5000.'

"_**A train? Have I been on one before?" **_

Chapter 2, Part 1, End


	3. Chapter 2, Part 2

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'Let me show you to your first test. Please press the "X" button to activate your CQ-80.'

Our main character arrives onto the Metro Station Railway Line, there he meets the infamous CQ Cumber. What challenges will he face and who shall he meet along the way, only time will tell…

Chapter 2, Part 2

'Did you even understand any of that, as I'm a few clams short of a super clam. Applicant 10,008,eh? That's a beakful... Should I just call you "Agent 8"?' 'If you want to... I don't mind... Although... can you call me by my name... if I'm off duty?' 'Of course, bucko!' The old man replied energetically, "Where does he get this energy from?"

The old man pondered in thought for a moment, before he came to a conclusion. 'This 'Promised Land' must be the surface. I wonder how deep underground we are... There's no time to waste!' The man concluded with a shout, before he could say anything else- a loud roar was heard from the tunnel you and your companion walked through, only moments prior.

When the mysterious object revealed itself, it was a train! A well-worn one, with graffiti and litter strewn across its surface, and most likely the inside as well. _**"I think I used to use one like this, to get around back home…I used to…To… What did I use it for?"**_

Once it had pulled up next to the platform, you quickly picked up both the CQ-80 and your CQ card and beckoned for your companion to follow you on to it, as you both stepped into the carriage-the train doors closed quickly and it took off down the tracks. Leaving the Central Station to look like a small toy called, a 'doll house'. _**"Weren't those banned for being a waste of resources?"**_

Your acquaintance sat down on one of the many seats available and looked down at your little sister to check on her, thankfully she was still asleep- but you were worried about what would happen if she needed food, or her nappy needed to be changed. 'I'm pooped Hibiki. Gonna rest my cuttlebones here for a bit...' Well that was certainly ironic given what you were just thinking about, however you could sympathize with the old man, you were fairly tired yourself but you just chalked that up to a lack of food and water.

You and your companion looked over to the doors that were in-between the carriage you were in and the one next to it on the left, for you both heard the doors opening. A small blue and purple sea cucumber slid through it, they wore a small conductors cap, to which you assumed it was the conductor of the train. Your assumptions were correct as it stated to you in a friendly, yet monotone voice 'Thank you for using Deep Sea Metro services today. I am your humble conductor, CQ Cumber.' He introduced himself politely, to which Cap'n Cuttlefish butted in rudely by practically shouting in an indoor voice. 'You gotta be squiddin' me! A talking sea slug?!' He voiced in a confused, yet annoyed tone.

'Mr Cuttlefish, you shouldn't say that! Do you want us to get kicked off?' You cried in protest, you looked over at the conductor and if they had a face, it would be one of tiredness and mild annoyance. You apologized sincerely for your acquaintance's behaviour, to which he grumbled and muttered to himself. The conductor sighed wearily, and stated in a quiet, tired voice. 'Here's the deal... We're in a vast underground facility operated by the Kamabo Corporation... It's a series of test chambers connected by the Deepsea Metro subway station.'

The conductor then turned to you and continued on, 'I see that you're in possession of a CQ-80 device. I take it your aim, is to reach the Promised Land?' You nodded yes in response- whereas your companion stated enthusiastically, 'That's right! We want out of here!'. You groaned before putting a hand over your eyes, and rubbing them with your thumb and index finger. The conductor simply said 'Understood.' in response, you couldn't help but feel bad for them as who knows what types of cephalopods; test subjects and passengers a-like, they've encountered.

The conductor simply continued on with what they were saying previously, 'The promised land is a paradise, to which we denizens of the depths are forbidden entry. To reach it, you must pass a test at each Deepsea Metro station. You must also find and collect the four thangs. When all four thangs have been gathered, the door to the promised land shall open.'

"_**Tests, I think I know what those are, but Thangs? What are they?"**_ It would appear that your companion was thinking along the same lines as you, as he interrupted- 'So all we gotta do is pass some tests and find some thangs, and we can go home?'

The conductor hesitated slightly before saying, 'I believe so...'. They then directed their attention towards you, 'Let me show you to your first test. Please press the "X" button to activate your CQ-80.'

Chapter 2, Part 2, End


	4. Chapter 2, Part 3

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'Trees?! Man, this subway is weird...'

As our main character completes his first test subject, he slowly begins to remember fragments of his recent past. What else will he remember as he completes more and more tests, as he gets closer to reaching the promised land- will he recover all of his memories? Or leave only as the echo of the boy he once was…

Chapter 2 Part 3

You pulled out your CQ-80 and pressed the 'X' button like the conductor instructed you to, a screen similar to the weapon booth from earlier appeared in front of you. Only this time it was of a train map, as of now it only had two options- one to go to the Central Station and for a test area above it, the conductor instructed you to pick the option above it. You obliged and you were now off to your first test, you looked over at your little sister and your acquaintance- you were worried about how you wouldn't be able to contact them. Your companion looked at you with a smile, it was one of warmth- you guessed that he sensed your concern, and was most likely worried as well. _**"Does he have anyone that worries about him, back in the Promised Land? As he definitely isn't from here, that's for certain…"**_

The train was starting to slow down, so you waited near the doors and looked out the window. You could see a small, floating area in the distance, it had tall fences around it- and below it was what you assumed to be the actual test area. The train stopped and the doors opened, you acquaintance wished you luck as you walked, cautiously, off the train. As soon as you got off, you stepped onto a weapon platform and chose the only option available to you- a Splattershot as the main, with a Splat Bomb as the sub. Before you chose it, you noticed the number 600 below it- the conductor then explained to you how this section of the test worked.

He explained that this was an area where you could choose your weapon, try it out, and change it if necessary. The points at the bottom of the screen were the amount of points you would receive upon the completion of the test. In the top corner, it showed you how many chances you had to complete the test, along with the entrance fee. They also explained how CQ points were required to enter a test and to start off with- you were given 1,000 CQ points.

After the explanation was over, they instructed you to choose the weapon on the screen, you complied- and the weapon was in your hands. You tested it quickly- to make sure that it worked, and it worked just fine. The conductor asked you if you had any questions you wanted to be answered, before the test began. You asked them if your acquaintance would be able to talk to you whilst you were completing the tests, he told you that he would monitor your progress via the camera attachment to your CQ-80; this meant that both them and your companion would be able to talk to you during the test. This reassured you slightly and you thanked them, you walked up to the entrance gate and swiped your CQ card. It let out a noise to confirm that it had worked- the test had officially began.

"_**At least I will be able to talk to them, then I won't be as distracted worrying about them…"**_

You touched down onto the beginning spawn point, in front of you was a foggy labyrinth with trees; wooden crates and IV drips filled with mysterious glowing, blue liquid in them scattered around the area. _**"I don't like the look of that blue… Something seems… Off, about it…" **_

You frowned at the sight of it, but brushed it off and walked forward. You could hear your acquaintance's voice from the CQ-80, 'Trees?! Man, this subway is weird...', for some odd reason- hearing his voice reassured you, if only slightly. As you got closer you saw a tall platform in the centre, and from the very top came a robotic voice, that stated. 'Target acquired.'

You looked up and saw what appeared to be an Octarian soldier, however something was... seriously off... with them. Their skin and hair was a mixture of green and blue. Otherwise, they were normal- and wore the new standard uniform before... _**"Before..."**_ (Well- whatever happened before would have to wait- you had 'things' to take care off). 'Octolings are your friends right? Maybe try talking to them?' Your acquaintance suggested, with a tone of worry. His suggestion had instantly gone out the window- as the green-blue soldier stated in a lifeless, robotic tone. 'Destroy.' As it began firing the standard weapon for many Octarian soldiers starting off in their enlistment, an Octoshot.

You had defeated them with ease, a gate had opened and you moved into the next chamber. It had a checkpoint spawn and you encountered two more Octarian soldiers, but they had different weapons this time. An Octo Carbon Roller, and an Octo Brella. You took them out as well, and as you went into the next chamber... This is when things got... interesting...

You encountered another Octarian soldier, but this time- they had Octo Dualies and they even used a special weapon, native to the Inklings... An Inkjet. You inked a path for yourself to swim through and hide- whilst you listened to the shots being fired; and once it got to six- you swam to the Inkjet's starting point and waited for the soldier to fall back- before their feet even touched the ground... They were defeated.

The final gate had opened and you passed through it, you saw a data point in front of you and it had an electric barrier around it. You shot at it to clear it away, before you touched it- in order to end the test. A screen on the CQ-80 came up with the words 'Test Cleared', after a few seconds- you then super-jumped back to the floating platform from the beginning and you landed on the equipper, whilst you were being scanned-a small eraser-like object fell into the palms of your hand. You smiled at it, before you got back onto the train. _**"They look more familiar now, were they the ones that were sent to retrieve me and my sister?"**_

Chapter, Part 3, End


	5. Chapter 3

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'I see... so you and this... Agent 8... don't know where you are? Sorry to hear that...'

Our main character is introduced to two women over a radio as they pick up their faint signal from the surface, will these two women play a key role later on?

Chapter 3

As soon as you got back onto the train, your acquaintance congratulated you- and ruffled your hair. You laughed at this, _**'He... isn't so bad I guess... maybe I could trust him more...'**_ You decided to take your little sister off of his hands for a bit, and as soon as you held her- she started to snuggle into you for warmth. _**'She can be really cute sometimes...'**_ You instinctively held her closer and started to sway her gently, whilst resting your chin on her head.

However, any thoughts of warmth or cuddles were sadly cut short, as you heard radio static coming from somewhere- you saw Cap'n Cuttlefish scuttle about for a moment before he pulled out an old, and well worn, walkie-talkie from his back pocket. _**"I remember seeing those back home too, although where did I see them being used? Who used them as well? Hopefully I can figure it out soon…"**_

'Huh... Is this thing working?!' The old man exclaimed, his expression suddenly changed to one of hope as he heard faint voices on the other end. 'Oho! I hear something! Come in, Agent 3, do you copy?!' What happened next surprised you, and you were amazed that you didn't freak out and do something rash. _**"Agent 3, they sound familiar… He did menton them earlier but who were they, and why do I recall them?"**_

A feminine voice screeched from the other side, you couldn't tell what they were saying- for they were speaking in Inklish and you didn't know it at all. Although Inklish was indeed similar to Octolish, it had many differences and with it coming through the radio, it made it harder to even hear them- never mind try and understand what they were saying.

'EXCUSE ME?' Your 'companion' uttered breathlessly, another voice appeared on the other end- it was slightly deeper and it had a faint accent to it. An accent that you recognised, it was one of another Octoling and although they were currently speaking Inklish- you were happy regardless of what they spoke.

The voice stated something in a scolding manner, they were most likely telling the one who screeched off, for screeching so loudly in the first place. Your companion was merely flabbergasted at the exchange, his wise eyes widening to the size of the trains own wheels. 'Hwa-?! Who am I speaking to? Where is Agent 3?!' The old man was taken aback slightly before he regained his composure, and completed his sentence in a commanding tone.

'State your names!' The old man demanded, with an air achieved by those who have commanded and led brave men and women alike into the heat of battle_**. "I wonder if he has led people into combat before, he does have the nickname of Cap'n after all…"**_ (Well he does call himself that, so it's fairly obvious that he has done something of that nature before. To be fair, he could've been a Captain of a ship, we do have the Manta Maria stage amongst other ship-related stages after all… Honestly, I should probably shut it before I go on forever.)

The one who screeched from the other side answered in a snarky tone, her nickname was 'MC. Princess' according to your companion- which fitted her personality. 'MC. Princess' then started to speak in a matter of nonsense on the spot, your 'companion' joined in with her. _**"Oh no…"**_ You silently thanked whatever forces were out there, for having no one else except you, your little sister and your 'companion' in the train kart at the time. _**"I would advise him to keep it down, but no one else is here, and the Conductor is driving the train so he won't hear it at all… I hope…"**_

This charade continued on for at least two minutes, before the other person on the other side got tired of listening to her counterpart and your 'companion' duking it out in a battle of words and improper words, and scolded them to get them to stop. The other person sighed before regaining their composure and even spoke fluently in Octolish. You felt as if though you heard that voice before, but you couldn't remember it... _**"I know that voice from somewhere… But who does it belong to… Their name is on the tip of my tongue… I know it is!"**_

The voice stated in a respectful manner, 'Mr Cuttlefish, was it? We found a radio here and heard your transmission. We're currently on Mount Nantai. Where are you calling from?'

'Mount Nantai... Why that's near Octo Valley!' The old man mused, 'I was there with my protogé Agent 3 for a patrol, but it appears we have been taken deep underground. I don't know where Agent 3 is now, we've been separated. As for the young lad I'm currently with, I found him passed out on a concrete floor, now he has to do these tests and find these 4 "thangs", and we get to go home. He's being referred to as Agent 8 for some reason, he doesn't remember much either…' You gave the old man a look of silent thanks, for you were glad he didn't mention your real name.

'I see... so you and this... Agent 8... don't know where you are? Sorry to hear that...' The other person continued, their saddened tone changed to an upbeat one in the blink of an eye. 'But worry not! From now on, you'll have me, Marina- aka DJ_Hyperfresh, supporting you!'. You recognised not only the voice but the name. _**"Marina! That's what it was! But who was she, and why do I know her?" **_Unfortunately, the static of your memory wouldn't let you remember. No matter how hard you tried...

'I'll get to work analysing your surroundings, and hopefully I'll be of some help to you!' Marina exclaimed cheerfully, her companion "MC. Princess" continued on and although you couldn't understand her. Her tone was one of confusion, yet support. 'Ok, well... Anyone who loves rapping is a friend of mine. Thanks for your help!' The old man signed off the conversation, before the walkie-talkie's signal faded into the air. _**"Oh… So that's what that charade is called… Do people in the Promised Land really just do that on the spot like they did?"**_

You looked down at your little sister and you felt at her bottom, it was warm- which was a sign that she needed to be changed. 'Cap'n, she needs to be changed. Do you know where the bathroom is?' You asked him, he got up and took your little sister into his arms and took her into the bathroom on the train. _**"I could've done it myself…"**_ you sighed as you waited for him to come out. He came out a few minutes later, and handed her back to you. She had a fresh nappy on and was still asleep, you were glad that she was still asleep, but you were curious as to how he changed her. 'Mr Cuttlefish... how did you change her, if there are no spares?' The old man pondered in thought, before he got up again and beckoned you to follow him, he told you to open the bathroom door and you complied. You looked in and saw the standard toilet; sink; mirror and what you assumed to be a soap dispenser like you would see in any public bathroom, at least you hoped so. However- you saw that the mirror had a hidden-handle on its side and you decided to investigate, inside were necessities like medical supplies; sanitary products and nappies to name a few. You closed the door and leaned against it for a few minutes, you had no words to describe your amazement.

The old man stared at you and told you to come back to the main part of the train, so as to not prevent others from using it. You complied and you were left to wonder, what else would you discover on this subway station and train were you travelling on and through?

Chapter 3, End


	6. Chapter 4, Part 1

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'Sulking won't get you anywhere...'

As our main character tries to complete a much more challenging test, he rediscovers an echo of his past. But what does it mean for him once he falls asleep?

Chapter 4, Part 1

Some more time had passed and you had since completed three more tests since your arrival to the Deep Sea Metro, however something interesting happened after you had gotten back onto the train after your fourth test was completed. A large blue-grey isopod wearing a pair of rounded black sunglasses, a black leisure suit and leather business shoes with red socks had walked onto the train, and into your carriage- with an air of experience and wisdom from years of age. He sat down on the seat behind your 'companion' and set down a briefcase, that was filled to the brim with toys both new and old. On closer inspection- he also wore a snap on watch that was no longer working, most likely due to age.

He noticed that you were staring at him and decided to introduce himself, 'Beg your pardon young squire, but may I have a look at those trinkets you got there.' He asked in a smooth calm voice, you looked down and realised he was on about the small eraser-like objects that you had received for completing the tests. He beckoned for you to come over and hand them to him- he then inspected them closely, before apologizing and giving them back to you. 'Sorry if I caught you off guard there...' His voice trailed off and you heard him mumble 'Hope I'm not too, off putting for the child...'.

'My name is Iso Padre. That's not my actual name mind you, but it's the only one I recall now.'. Iso Padre introduced himself to you, so you decided to do the same for yourself, your companion- Cap'n Cuttlefish and your little sister who although didn't have a name yet, you thought it would be polite to introduce her anyway. Iso Padre then went on to explain what those eraser-like objects were, 'Down here, we call those thin-slices of memory, mem-cakes.'. Now that you thought about it, they did give you some of your memories back- if only four for now. The first one was of the four soldiers that first broke through that familiar corridor, the second and third one were related to the weapons and procedures they used for training back 'home'- wherever that was, the fourth one which you just received- was of a pair of goggles you wore when you were younger. _**"Trainees do have different gear to the higher ups, I was close to receiving a newer pair of eye-wear though..."**_ You thought, before dragging your attention back to reality.

He then went on to explain why he's looking for them, 'I've spent an age or two here in the depths, hungry for them, they're my only link left.' He muttered on about how he remembered his own days as a test subject, although he dropped out of them early. He continued on by saying, 'I pray that you'll be the one to cut through the gloom, and light the way to my dreams. Share your mem-cakes with me and I'll repay the favour, safe travels young squire.' Although confused by his request, you thanked him for his kindness and went over to play with your little sister before you did another test. As you picked up your little sister, your companion whispered into your ear, 'I'm not sure if this Iso Padre guy is playing with a full deck... He doesn't seem like a bad chap though.' The old man mused before going quiet again, your little sister was trying to grab at your hair- you couldn't help but laugh at seeing her tiny little hands reach up and try to grab at something that was out of her reach.

You could see that you were arriving at the station soon, so you gave her back to Cap'n before soothing her by saying. 'Aw, I'm sorry... But I have tests to do, once I finish for today I'll play with you for a bit, Ok?' Her grip loosened but the tears in her eyes became more pronounced, you rubbed her head and smiled, the train had stopped so you waved goodbye. Both your companion and acquaintance Iso Padre wished you well, before you got off and walked onto the station platform.

You had to use an E-Litre 4K to hit seven 8 Ball Switches, after a few tries and two failed attempts- you started to become frustrated and sat down on the ground with your knees tucked to your chest and your arms wrapped around them, with the weapon beside you on the ground. 'Sulking won't get you anywhere...' A woman's voice said, it was faded and echoed slightly, you saw the woman from earlier and she was looking down at you- she coerced you into getting up and starting again. You saw her pale, white, translucent skin as she stood behind you and helped you aim properly- she congratulated you for hitting the first few switches and stood back whilst you did the rest, you completed the test and turned around to face her 'Thank you for the...' You began joyfully, with a smile on your face- which quickly dropped and was replaced with a look of confusion. You wanted to thank her- but she was nowhere in sight!

You brushed it off and super-jumped back to the station and got on the train, you sat down and looked at the mem-cake you were just given, it brought back memories of you at the training grounds trying out a similar weapon. You had also gotten fed up then, but you were encouraged to try again- the test area was similar to the training grounds- but instead of 8 Balls it was Target Balloons. _**'I wonder if the woman who helped me there and back then, are the same...'**_ You pondered for a minute, before deciding to drop the matter and continuing on with the tests.

After completing a few more tests, you decided to call it a day and not do anymore. You were tired, hungry and just wanted to rest for a bit. Your companion greeted you with a smile and praised you for how well you did, you had unlocked three lines and were close to getting the first thang. CQ Cumber asked you if he could talk to you, you followed him into the second train cart and he congratulated you for unlocking three train lines, he then gave you a large sum of CQ points as a reward. As you turned to leave, he stopped you as he had something else to tell you. 'Agent 8, since you will be a test subject for a while, I believe it's in my best interest to take you, your little sister and the old man to the Deepsea Dormitory. The Deepsea Dormitory is where you'll be staying when you aren't completing any tests, you will be provided with the bare essentials for your stay. It hasn't been used in a while, so forgive me if it isn't in the best of conditions.'

'Thank you, conductor. Am I free to leave?' You asked, 'Yes, can you inform your companions of the news?' He replied. 'I will, thank you for your time Conductor.'. You bowed slightly, before turning around and walking back into the first carriage, your companion asked you if you were alright whilst trying to soothe your little sister. She was definitely hungry, you were also hungry yourself so you picked her up and started soothing her, so that your companion could take a well-deserved break.

You then decided to inform your companion, of where you were all going to stay whilst you completed the tests.'Deepsea Dormitory, eh? That must be near the Central Station!' The old man concluded, you were almost caught off guard when the train suddenly stopped- and CQ Cumber trailed into the carriage to inform you that you had arrived at the Deepsea Central Station. 'I will now take you to the Deepsea Dormitory, please follow me and do not leave anything behind.'. You had all gotten off the train and started to follow CQ Cumber, to where you presumed the Deepsea Dormitory was. After five minutes, your group came across a large wooden door, to which CQ Cumber unlocked it with a special key attached to his ID Card. _**"Where does he keep the ID Card? Under his hat maybe?"**_

As soon as you walked inside, you were greeted with a sign with various directions and locations printed on it, along with a map of the buildings layout, you were then given a spare key from CQ Cumber who warned you to not lose it-otherwise you would have to use your CQ points to pay for a replacement. He then showed you to the cafeteria, where you all had dinner with the exception of your little sister- who drank formula milk from a bottle, as you fed her you noticed how although there were many wooden tables- your group was the only type of life around.

After dinner was cleared and cleaned up, CQ Cumber showed you to your room you would be staying in- it had two beds, a baby crib, a cupboard for storage, and a bathroom next door. He informed you that if there were any problems, you were to contact him in his office, you thanked him and wished him a good night. After he closed the door behind him, your group set about getting ready for bed- taking off shoes and placing them in order by the door, brushing teeth and washing faces, changing into bed clothes issued by Kamabo Co and getting settled into bed.

'Hey bucko...' The old man started, 'Hm? What is it Mr Cuttlefish?' You asked. 'Do you want to pray with me, before we go to sleep.' He asked, you decided to be polite and nodded yes, before going to kneel beside him. You both clasped your palms together, and began following along with him as he prayed aloud.

'As I lay myself to rest, I pray that my loved ones will be blessed. Lord, watch over me tonight, bless me with your love so bright. The angels they will dance and sing,and to me- sweet dreams they will bring. When I wake to greet the day, Lord- I know you'll light the way. Amen.' As he finished, he ruffled your hair- before getting up and climbing into his bed, you got up as well and climbed into your own bed. As you got comfortable under the covers, you noticed he was waiting for you. 'Goodnight bucko, sleep well.' He said wearily, with a smile nonetheless. 'Goodnight Mr Cuttlefish, you too.' You responded, with a smile as well.

You then rolled over and sleep took you into its arms, quickly. You dreamt of the woman from earlier, she was in a white kimono and her hair was tied back but with two strands kept down in the front- this time however... She had the same ink and eye colour as you. However, you couldn't figure out who she was- even though you recognised her. She was calling out your name, over and over again. 'Hibiki, Hibiki, Hibiki. Come here, Hibiki...' she would say, although you couldn't answer her. 'How do you know my name?' you would ask, but it was fruitless- for as even though you tried to get closer. She would just get further and further away, to the point of where her voice barely registered as a whisper.

'Hibiki, Hibiki, Hibiki... Come on now bucko, it's time to wake up.'. The old man said, you opened your eyes and you heard an alarm rock going off. The time was 6:25AM, it was time to get ready and face the day- no matter what it threw at you.

Chapter 4, Part 1, End


	7. Chapter 4, Part 2

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

"Good morning, Agent 8! :). Are you ready to face the day?"

As our main character wakes up from his dream, what will happen to him once he meets a mysterious figure outside the entrance to one of the tests?

Chapter 4, Part 2

You were washed, dressed and ready to face the day within 20 minutes. 'Cap'n, I'm ready.' You said, ' You aren't ready yet, you haven't even had breakfast!' The old man exclaimed whilst gently bouncing your little sister, you looked sheepishly at the floor. The old man sighed before taking your hand and leading you downstairs, you walked hand-in-hand to the cafeteria where you were greeted to the sight of CQ Cumber sitting at a table with a cup of coffee and a newspaper laid out in front of him.

He greeted you and you did the same back, your companion handed you your little sister as he went to wash his hands, and prepare breakfast for you all. You sat down at the table CQ Cumber was at, and started making small talk with him- he joined in and before long, Cap'n Cuttlefish brought out a tray with a bottle full of formula for your little sister; two bowls, three plates and two glasses of water for the rest. In the bowls was a light broth with vegetables and what looked like tofu, and on the plates was some fruit and buttered toast. He handed you the bottle along with a plate; bowl and a glass of water, he gave CQ Cumber a plate and for himself the remaining bowl; plate and glass of water.

You all dug in and ate heartily, during breakfast one thing kept bothering you. The woman. _**"Why can't I remember her though? We share something in common, our ink and eye colour, so what does that mean…" **_"Agent 8, are you alright? Did you not sleep well?" CQ Cumber asked, if he had a visible face it would be one of worry. You snapped back to reality and waved your hands, "No Conductor, I slept well actually. I think I might just be remembering something is all, thank you for your concern- but I shall be fine." You answered and resumed eating with the others, after you were finished. You handed your little sister to Cap'n Cuttlefish and cleaned up, you then fixed your shoes and grabbed what else you needed before going to leave.

However, before you could leave, you could hear Cap'n Cuttlefish call for you; you turned around and saw him carry something in his old hands. 'Where are you going young man? You forgot your lunch!' He exclaimed, he then handed you a lunch box with a water bottle on the side, you noticed how it was wrapped neatly in an old scarf. 'I don't want you to get hungry now!' He scolded lightly, ' Thank you... Mr Cuttlefish...' You replied reluctantly, the old man sighed before smiling again. 'Ok, you best get going now. Good luck, my boy!' He said warmly, you said goodbye to both him and your little sister, before taking your packed lunch and heading out the door.

"_**I wonder if I'll get any more memories of her soon…"**_

Both you and CQ Cumber boarded the train, as the doors closed you sat down and opened up your CQ-80. You noticed a speech bubble option at the top- it had a notification sign beside it, _**"That wasn't there before..."**_ You decided to scroll onto it and open it up. A message had popped up, it was from the two women you and Cap'n Cuttlefish got into contact with yesterday- it read as follows.

DJ_Hyperfresh: Good morning, Agent 8! :). Are you ready to face the day?

: Uuuuuggggghhhhhh... Reena, why are we up so early...

DJ_Hyperfresh: Good morning to you too Pearlie, we need to help Agent 8 on their mission to the Promised Land! Remember?

: Yeah, yeah- at least bring me a coffee first… Oh can you stop by that nice café and bring me a Strawberry Cream Latte. Oh and a box of 12 macaroons or donuts, we can split it. 50/50. I want the peanut ones, they taste so good with the Swee-nut filling!

DJ_Hyperfresh: Sure thing Pearlie, but the filling actually doesn't contain Swee-nut you know.

Agent8: Good morning, how am I able to read ' messages, if I don't know Inklish?

DJ_Hyperfresh: Oh, I installed a translator into your CQ-80, so you'll be able to hear or what Pearlie is saying or typing.

You couldn't help but smile at their considerate action and thanked them, you typed in another message before waiting for a reply.

Agent8: Anyway, Mr Cuttlefish made me a lunch to bring with me, although... I don't know what to do with it, whilst I complete the tests... Any ideas?

DJ_Hyperfresh: Aaaawwwww, that's so sweet! But, you could always ask someone to look after it for you, until you're ready to have it.

Agent 8: Oh, I could ask Iso Padre to look after it for me!

DJ_Hypterfresh: See, there's your answer. Well I have to bounce, Pearlie wants her coffee and we need to get ready for work- but I'll be back soon. C ya later!

Agent8: Farewell! Enjoy your food and drinks!

As you closed the chat room, you saw a familiar figure get onto the train. As they sat down, you asked them if they could look after your lunch, 'Sure, make sure don't tire yourself too much, young squire.' The man said and you thanked them, before you chose a test to do and waited for the train to stop. As the doors opened, you were greeted with an unusual site- a man was standing there, with a red jacket tied around his waist and a Custom Splat Roller attached to a strap on his back...

Chapter 4, Part 2, End


	8. Chapter 4, Part 3

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'Try and get it across in one swoop, got it?'

It appears that the mysterious figure has actually been sent to help our main character with the tests, but is that really their true purpose. Or are they there for more, complicated reasons…

Chapter 4, Part 3

As you stepped off the train, the man approached you with an air of toughness and pure strength. They were a hybrid, both an Inkling and an Octoling combined. Their ink colour was a light violet similar to your natural ink colour, they had strong; grey eyes that saw right through you.

They had a variety of black piercings in their rounded ears and wore a yellow and black face mask, a dark grey tank top with a red satin jacket tied around their waist, grey shorts and green hi-tops. Their main weapon was a Splat Roller, which had been repainted to a more monochromatic theme. It was also attached to a strap that was most likely used for support. _**"Did I work on weapons before this? The ones the soldiers use look more familiar to me now…"**_ 'Hello.' The man said, in a voice that was slightly deep but still light. 'Uhm, hello...' You replied, you were slightly uneasy as they looked directly at you. _**"They look a bit scary, hopefully he's not too bad…"**_

'I've seen you complete a few tests, I have to say- I'm quite impressed. You're trying to get to the Promised Land, correct?' The man asked, _**"How did they know about the tests, and why I'm completing them..."**_ 'You seem to struggle with some missions, so here's the deal. I'll show you how to complete the missions and generally help out, in return I want you to help me with something.' His eyes glinted with sadness as he mentioned that he needed help, but they were quickly disguised and the hard exterior came over again. _**"Did something happen to someone? I wonder if that Agent 3 is involved somehow…"**_

'Ok, what's your name...' You asked, 'I'm Agent 4, but you can call me Maru if you wish.' He replied. 'I'm Agent 8... But you can call me Hibiki... If I'm not doing any tests of course...' You answered reluctantly, Maru's eyes warmed and softened, the harsh grey turning into gleaming silver. He held out his hand for you to shake it, you took it skeptically but you were surprised at how gentle he was. _**"They're rough, yet soft? How odd…"**_

He then took a step back and waited for you to pick a weapon from the equipper, you decided to go for an Ink Brush as the main and an Autobomb as the sub. You walked over to the starting point and swiped your CQ Card, you then jumped down onto the spawn point and saw the 8 Ball Goal, you walked behind it and saw a super-jump portal.

You used it to get higher up and once you landed, you were greeted with the sight of three Octarians, one of which was a Twin-Tail and had a more advanced machine than the other two normal Octarians. You took them out quickly and grabbed the armour from one of the destroyed crates, as you made you way up- you could see that Agent 4 had taken out the enemies already and was waiting for you down below.

You jumped down and reached the checkpoint, he came up to you and whispered- 'There's an Octo Sniper ahead, you wait here and I'll yell for you to go ahead, cool?', ' Ok.' You replied. He gave a thumbs up and went ahead, you saw him take out the Octo Sniper with ease by jumping up and swinging the Roller forward with a great amount of force- you then went up and got on the moving platform only to be greeted with Agent 4 on the other side taking care of the enemies with a Burst Bomb Launcher. You picked up one of the specials from a can, and swam up the wall- Maru saw a vault in the distance and instructed you to find the key.

You painted a switch on the ceiling of the platform, until it rotated towards a separate area where you presumed the key would be. You swam up the wall and saw the key, but it was guarded by a handful of Normal Octarians, along with one shielded one- you decided to climb up and use the special to take them out. Once they were gone, you took the key and swam back to the platform- you rotated it again until you got to the vault. You opened it and you saw the 8 Ball, you then took it back to the moving platform and waited for it to come to you, you placed the ball onto it and saw Agent 4 waiting for you on the other side.

'Alright kid, nice work. Get the 8 Ball to the bottom platform there, and wait until the side with the yellow fences appear. Then try and get it across in one swoop, got it?' He explained, you nodded and complied- you managed to get it across with the ball falling off and had delivered it to the goal successfully. You had passed a test which you struggled with...

You were smiling with joy and once you had gotten back onto the train with Agent 4, you hugged them out of thanks- you could feel them ruffle your hair. 'Good job kid.' They smiled, and pulled away from your hug- you then asked them about how they got here. 'Can I borrow that?' He asked, whilst pointing to your CQ-80; you handed it to him and he opened it onto the chat room and opened it. Inside was a message from one of the women, which read as follows.

: Yo 8, me and Reena have a tight schedule at the mo, so since we won't be able to out much... I sent along someone who could help you complete your tests, now hurry up and get here yo! Aight, see ya around!

You closed it and laughed, that definitely seemed like something Pearl would do. It seemed that they had sent Agent 4 along as a helping hand, you made a mental reminder to thank them later.

You really appreciated their help sometimes... Speaking of help, you decided to ask Maru what they needed help with- they looked to the side before putting their hands in their pockets and pulling a casual pose. _**"Do all Inklings do this when asking for help? Wait…"**_ 'I'm looking for someone... I heard that the old man was here with him last... but I don't know where they are. Not only am I worried about the one I'm looking for, the old man's grandkids are worried sick about him. So, I promised them that I would keep an eye out for him as well...' _**"So Agent 3 is involved, and there's someone on the surface for the old man, oh… Hold on!" **_

He paused and held out his hand again for you to shake it, before saying. 'So... Will you help me out kid?' You gingerly put your hand towards him and started to shake it nervously, you smiled at him and although he wore a mask- you could tell he was smiling as well.

'Old man... Oh, you mean Mr Cuttlefish?'

Chapter 4, Part 3, End


	9. Chapter 4, Part 4

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'Hibiki, who is that? You shouldn't trust strangers...'

As our main character starts to know Maru a bit more, his old yet wise companion, Cap'n Cuttlefish seems wary of him. Is it for good reason? Or something else…

Chapter 4, Part 4

You had since completed a few more tests, but you decided to take a break and stop for lunch. Iso Padre handed you back the lunch that Cap'n Cuttlefish made for you, you unwrapped the scarf and took out both the lunch box and water bottle. You sat down near the back and opened the lunch box, inside was the leftovers from last night's dinner along with some fruit from breakfast. You started to dig in and whilst doing so, you decided to check up on Cap'n Cuttlefish from the chat log.

Agent8: Hi Mr Cuttlefish, is everything ok?

CraigCuttlefish: Yes, I'm fine thank you. Your little sister is doing well. Have you eaten lunch yet?

Agent8: I'm eating it now, (photo attachment)- see?

CraigCuttlefish: That's good :). One of the young lady's has been helping me improve my texting. Technically both of them have, but they are busy girls like my Callie and Marie, so I shouldn't bother them too much...

Agent8: Are those your grand-kids?

CraigCuttlefish: Yes, they are my grand-children. Your little sister reminds me of them, when they were little... :_)

CraigCuttlefish: How did you know?

Agent8: She isn't pulling on your tentacles... Is she?

CraigCuttlefish: She is, she's doing it now actually. At least she isn't pulling on them hard, and she's the only baby I'm looking after. Oh do I have many pictures of my Callie and Marie doing that, hohoho. I could show them to you if you like

Agent 8: Perhaps another day would be better, as I have to go now Cap'n, but I'll talk to you later. Ok?

CraigCuttlefish: Alright, good luck out there!

Unbeknownst to you, Agent 4 had sat beside you whilst you were talking to Cap'n Cuttlefish- they had startled you by saying. 'Huh, so that's what the old man's doing now, well at least he's in good health.', you jumped slightly but you were thankful that nothing spilled out of the lunch box, due to it being empty. 'Oh, sorry kid. Didn't mean to frighten ya'.' They apologized sheepishly, 'Please don't do that… I could've spilled my lunch...' You responded in a quiet voice.

You sighed, and packed up the lunch box and water bottle back into the scarf. Before standing up, stretching and giving it back to Iso Padre- you then opened up your CQ-80 and chose a mission to do. You decided to start doing the right side of the yellow line, in the hopes of unlocking another line or two.

You had since unlocked two more lines and even completed a full set of mem-cakes, as you stepped back on the train- Iso Padre asked to talk to you, you went over to him and handed over the full set. 'Well now, this certainly tells an interesting story doesn't it. I don't think I can thank you, but thank you I must. Here, try this on for size once you reach the Promised Land.' He then handed you a replica of the glasses the off-looking Octarian soldiers wore, to which you felt slightly uneasy looking at them- they reminded you of someone but you couldn't remember who... _**"I think these are... the same glasses she wore... Was I was meant to get these soon? I think so, but I'm not too sure…"**_ , Maru snapped you out of your thoughts by putting a strong hand on your shoulder and informing you of the time, it was almost half-six in the evening.

You decided to call it a day and head back to the Deepsea Dormitory, as you were travelling there- you took the lunch box and replica shades off of Iso Padre and wished him farewell, as he got off at his own stop with his briefcase full of trinkets. Agent 4 and CQ Cumber followed you off the train and to the Deepsea Dormitory, you were greeted with the sight of Cap'n Cuttlefish opening the door with one of his hands supporting the baby sling- he was going to greet you- but his voice stopped and he stared behind you, you turned your head and noticed he was staring at Maru. A long silence passed before the old man asked in a serious voice, 'Hibiki, who is that? You shouldn't trust strangers...', you explained that Pearl and Marina sent them to help you as they were going to be busy for a while. The old man then stepped to the side and allowed you to pass whilst taking the scarf-wrapped lunch box and water bottle off you to be cleaned, you felt nervous- for the tension in the room had risen, and it started suffocating you with its humidity.

You walked into the cafeteria and sat down, CQ Cumber made an excuse about having work to do and left as quickly as he could, Maru sat down next to you. His fingers were rubbing against the palms of his hands, he was as nervous as you were. You tapped him on the shoulder and as he looked over, you smiled softly- with a look that said 'Don't worry, I'm as nervous as you are...'. He hastily gave you a look of thanks but his face soon became unreadable, as Cap'n Cuttlefish brought a tray with three plates of curry and rice, along with three glasses of water.

He set the plates down gently, yet as he set down Maru's plate- he set it down with a much louder bang. You started to eat, whilst Maru and Cap'n Cuttlefish stared at each other for a few minutes, before you decided to break the uncomfortable silence. 'Do you two know each other?' You asked whilst quickly putting in a mouthful of curry rice, to prevent the other two present from asking you any questions. Maru was the first to speak, although it was reserved and quiet. 'Captain, do you remember that night two years ago, when Octavio first stole the Great Zapfish? And how Agent 3 was almost defeated?' The old man pondered in deep thought, before removing his interlocked hands from his chin, and placing them down on the table. 'Yes, I do. What about it?' He said seriously, Maru had gained a note of confidence and stated. 'Do you remember that someone had appeared with a custom roller and a bomb launcher special? And how they helped defeat Octavaio, and helped bring the Great Zapfish back? Although, it may not look like it now- but that was me.' He then brought out a photograph, it was dog-eared and stained in one corner. _**"I recall something like that, but he looks far different then the last time I saw him, at least I think I did…"**_

The old man took it in his hands and studied it, before long his eyes widened and he started laughing heartily. He wiped his tears out of his eyes, and handed the photo back to Maru. 'Why didn't you say so earlier, if you had just mentioned Agent 3's name, I would've recognized you!' The old man laughed, Maru had look of relief on their face. 'You've definitely changed since then, however the one thing that hasn't changed is how Agent 3 loves you, he loves you more than his many chargers I'd dare say.' The old man smiled, whilst Mary looked away with a flushed look, the old man then scolded the both of you for not hurrying up and eating your food. 'Oh, Maru! Weren't you looking for Agent 3 and Mr Cuttlefish?' You asked, as you ate normally now and not nervously- after the tension was resolved. _**"Well, at least that's that over…"**_ 'Yeah, you sure as shell worried your grand-kids Cap. You've been away for 3 months since March, it'll be June soon...' Maru said, your companion rubbed his cheek with his finger sheepishly and apologized. Maru sighed before continuing.

'Agent 3 has been gone for a while... Do you know where they are?' Maru asked, his tone gaining a note of sadness near the end. The old man paused in thought, whilst he fed your little sister. 'I'm sorry... I haven't seen him either, I do hope he's alright...', The old man's face lit up excitedly as he thought of an idea. 'I know, how about a missing agent poster! If someone has seen him, then they could tell it to CQ Cumber to see if we have any leads.'. Maru thought about it for a moment, before agreeing. 'Well, I think we could do it another day, dinners going cold.'

You all then ate quickly, before long the plates were empty and were cleared away. Cap'n Cuttlefish handed you your little sister to look after whilst he did the dishes, as you held her- you could feel that she had gotten heavier.

'Looks like she's being looked after well.' Maru said, whilst standing up and stretching. They picked up their roller and fixed their shoes, 'Well, I have to go now. I have other things to take care of, tell Cap'n I said thanks for the food.' He said in his normal, serious tone. 'I will...' You replied, the man waved goodbye before leaving the cafeteria- you could hear the front entrance doors close with a bang. You decided to go upstairs and get you and your little sister ready for bed, as you laid her down in the cot- you heard a woman's voice.

'Hibiki?' A woman asked, you turned around and saw her, it was the woman from your dream. Only, this time a man was beside her- his body was distorted and maimed slightly. He wore an Octarian soldier uniform, but he was missing eye-wear, the metal parts of the uniform were stained with resurrection ink. His skin had been stained with resurrection ink as well, but you could see his own ink dripping out from the chest piece. 'What, who are you?' You asked, but they faded away. You were confused, two physical beings had just simply vanished! (Spooky!)

You chalked it up to being overly-tired and decided to head to bed, you looked at your little sister once more to make sure she was ok, she was sleeping soundly and this reassured you- if only a little. As you lay on your side and felt sleep embrace you, you started to dream of a familiar white corridor and the woman you saw moments prior, only this time she wore an updated Octarian soldier uniform and had a charger strapped to her back...

"_**Why does she look so familiar? The weapon as well…"**_

Chapter 4, Part 4, End


	10. Chapter 5, Part 1

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'I'm an Octoling and you're an Inkling, I can see why you're suspicious of me.'

As our main character starts a new day, he encounters a stubborn girl that doesn't like him at first but eventually warms up to him. But what happens to him as the echoes of his past catch up to him, and make him feel regret?

Chapter 5, Part 1

The woman stood in front of you, she then grabbed your hand and she started to run, alarms were blaring and a voice rang out from a speaker system. The woman then stopped and handed you a baby sling, you could see your little sister inside- she instructed you in a distorted voice to run, whilst she slung the charger attached to her back into her hands. _**"Why is it so familiar to me? Why do I feel like I've been here before?"**_

You did so and you only stopped as you heard a familiar scream, you turned back and saw the woman as she was shot in the leg. _**"Why…"**_ She then yelled something to you, but whatever else she was going to say was cut short, for she had been shot through the chest and as she fell to the floor, her ink started to paint the white corridor grimly. _**"Why does it pain me so much?"**_

You felt tears come down your cheeks and you then saw the soldiers from the first test of the Deepsea Metro look at you with lifeless eyes, you can't remember anything else from that... except... the end of the dream... _**"If I can't remember it…"**_ You woke up on a concrete floor with Cap'n Cuttlefish in front of you, you heard his voice wake you up and you opened your eyes.

You wiped away the dried and fresh tear tracks from your face and you got up. For it was morning, and time to face the day.

You did your normal routine of getting ready, eating breakfast, grabbing your things, saying goodbye and leaving with CQ Cumber. You waited for Iso Padre to get on the train and you handed him the lunch pack, you were then met with Maru getting on the train but something was different this time, a young girl around your age was following him. She was an Inkling. She had pastel, yellow hair in pig-tails and bright, turquoise eyes. She wore a t-shirt with a caricature of a woman in a yellow dress on it, with a denim skirt, leggings and white velcro strap shoes. She carried a Luna Blaster as a main weapon, which made her hands look tiny and delicate as she held it. _**"She looks… Pretty…"**_

'Hey kid, I had training today so I brought my student with me, I couldn't leave her alone- so I'm sorry about that. But, why don't you two introduce yourselves whilst I talk to the conductor, ok?' You nodded yes, but the girl did so unwillingly. Maru then turned, and walked into the second carriage, you tried to introduce yourself to the young girl as you wanted to be polite, the girl looked at you and turned away whilst crossing her arms.

You didn't really blame her for not wanting to talk, she probably wasn't used to Octolings and since you were a boy- this most likely only increased her distrust of you. _**"I don't blame her… If I was her, then I would feel suspicious of an Octoling. A boy at that…"**_

'It's ok if you don't want to talk to me, you shouldn't force yourself to. I'm an Octoling and you're an Inkling, I can see why you're suspicious of me.' You said aloud- slowly. You glanced over to the girl to see if she understood you– her eyes met yours and she scowled, turning away from you. You simply sighed and decided to ignore her, as you opened up your CQ-80 and chose a mission to do, Maru came back into the carriage and waited with you. As the train slowed down, Maru beckoned for the girl to follow you both into the testing area, she ignored it and Maru glared at them sternly- she grumbled as she got up and waited beside you.

As you walked onto the platform- Maru stood at the side and instructed the girl to help you complete the test, she didn't look too happy about it, but she complied. As you swiped the pass and started the test, you saw a large amount of Bumpers that needed to be destroyed- there were two platforms that you needed to step on in order to move the 8 Ball Launcher. The two of you stood in front of the platforms, one at each- and worked together. To your amazement, the girl was quick in her movements but slightly clumsy as she bumped into you a few times, other than that- you passed the test and smiled at her. She had warmed up to you slightly and did a thumbs-up in return, you both got back onto the train and waited to stop at the next test.

You worked on a few more tests together and unlocked a new line, however you decided to go back and complete some of the tests you missed out on. You chose one where you had to dodge missiles and get to the goal, it sounded easy enough so you chose it. You and the girl stood near the doors of the train and waited, you fidgeted with your hair and tapped your feet. 'Tsuyo.' The girl said suddenly- her voice was soft and her accent was a clear indicator of where she was from- the Promised Land.

She said it slowly to make sure that you understood it, although Inklish was similar to Octolish- it had an entirely different dialect. 'What?' You responded in surprise. 'You- you asked me my name earlier, that's my name. Tsuyo.' She looked away from you again, you glanced over at before turning away and smiling to yourself- you were getting somewhere with her.

The train had slowed down and as you walked on the equipper, there were no weapons to choose from. You proceeded ahead and started the test, you looked up and saw a Missile-Copter in the distance, you saw boxes at one end and a locked vault at the other. Both you and Tsuyo caught the Missile-Copter's attention and stood at the boxes before quickly running away, in order to avoid being splatted from the missiles. The boxes had broken and a key was on the other side, you had Tsuyo distract the Missile-Copter whilst you grabbed the key, it worked and you proceeded onto the next area.

The next area was one with a platform that required ink in order to move it, since you had no weapon. You thought about getting the Missile-Copter to do it for you, Tsuyo then put her Luna Blaster into use by quickly hitting the switch multiple times in order to get across safely. _**"Why didn't she use them to destroy the boxes earlier? Oh well…"**_

(She probably forgot, realised she had it and decided to use it. Or perhaps she liked your idea better and just went with it. I'll leave that up for you to decide…)

You both jumped onto the platform and saw two sponges fully-inked, you grabbed the power eggs from the top whilst Tsuyo grabbed the armour and handed it to you, the Missile-Copter targeted Tsuyo and she ran towards you. She tripped and you caught her, the Missile-Copter targeted the sponges instead and revealed grating to slip through, you both slipped through and landed onto a platform.

You saw a pair of Glooga Dualies at the end of the platform along with an inactive Ride Rail, you ran towards the weapon and grabbed it before shooting at the Ride Rail to turn it on. Tsuyo was beside you- but she looked nervous, when you beckoned for her to follow you she stayed in place and she barely moved. With the exception of a look of pure fear. 'Tsuyo, come on- we need to get back up top.' You said, the girl whined. She mumbled something but you couldn't hear it. You asked what she said before she blurted out angrily, 'I don't like heights ok!? Jeez...'. _**"Inklings probably don't have Ride-Rails like this in the Promised Land… Is that why she doesn't like them?**_" There were a few tears in her eyes that were threatening to spill out if you weren't careful. You sighed, before making a decision quickly.

You took the weapons and attached them to your waist and you picked her up, she was lighter than you expected- but you left that thought alone as you jumped onto the Ride Rail and made your way back to the top, you then set her down and she looked like she wanted to slap you- yet, she also looked grateful. You continued on with the test and as you got to the goal, the pair of you shot at the data point until you were able to swipe it.

You held out your hand for a high-five, and Tsuyo returned it but not before slapping you on the cheek. 'That's for picking me up and jumping onto the Ride Rail, idiot!' She said annoyed, you rubbed your cheek and sighed- to be fair you had picked her up without warning. _**"Ok… I did deserve that, but I couldn't just leave her! Maru and the Conductor wouldn't be too happy with me…"**_ You both got onto the train and Maru went over immediately to ask Tsuyo if they were ok, and apologized for not helping the pair of you out.

You noticed that Tsuyo had been walking funny since she got back onto the train, so you instructed her to sit down whilst you went into the bathroom of the train and brought out a med-kit, you returned to the main carriage and set the med-kit down beside Tsuyo. 'I want to see if you hurt yourself earlier, from when you fell. Can you lift up your leggings please?'. Maru sat down beside her and waited, she slowly and reluctantly lifted the leggings over her knees and you saw a small bruise on the left but a large cut on the right. _**"That cut doesn't look too good…"**_

You dealt with the bruise first by putting some soothing cream on it, for the cut you would have to clean it; apply soothing cream and put a bandage on it. She saw you taking out the antiseptic bottle and a cotton ball, she squirmed in discomfort and put her hand over her knee to stop you from treating it. 'Tsuyo, I have to do this- I don't want it to get infected. Please?'. You looked at her softly and the tears were back in her eyes again, Maru offered his hand to hold and she took it. You cleaned the cut as gently as you could, she winced in pain and a few tears ran down her cheeks- once you finished putting the bandage on.

She wiped the tears off her face and fixed herself up, Maru comforted her by saying 'See, it wasn't that bad now was it?'. He then suggested that you both took a break and eat lunch, whilst he talked to the conductor, he got up and walked out of the carriage- leaving you two alone.

As you were putting the medical items back in the box, Tsuyo had stopped you and insisted on treating you for any cuts or scrapes you had. You complied and sat down beside her, she took out the soothing cream again and put a small amount on her right hand and rubbed it into your left cheek- from where she had slapped you. She rubbed it in tiny circles with an experienced hand, as though she had done it many times before, however- any thoughts you had, had since turned to mush.

For you had relaxed slightly and began to purr, Tsuyo had stopped and moved on- which was a shame as you enjoyed that small moment of contact, for you had found it comforting. _**"That felt… Nice…"**_ She then started to cover the smaller cuts and scrapes you had sustained from past tests, she offered her hand to hold if you needed it but you had politely declined. She completed her work quickly, yet meticulously, she finished up her work and started to put the medical items back in the box for you.

You returned the med-kit to the bathroom and went to Iso Padre for your lunch box, as he handed it to you he noticed the many plasters and bandages on you, he chuckled slightly and asked 'Have you been getting into any fights, young squire?', you responded politely with 'Yes... I had to complete a few tests with a lot of enemies in them... but I'm ok now... Thank you for your concern Mr Padre...' You smiled and went back into the first carriage where Tsuyo was sitting on the floor, near the back of the train.

'Do you want to share? I have lunch.' You said, she looked up at you before saying, 'Sure, what is it anyway?'. You weren't sure yourself- but you sat down beside her and opened it up, inside the lunch box was the leftover rice from dinner and a pickled plum on top, next to it was the eggs and sausages from breakfast, along with some fruit in a separate container. The two of you started to eat as best as you could with one pair of utensils, but you both managed and you started to open up the CQ-80 to talk to Mr Cuttlefish. You were met with a photo from Cap'n of your little sister playing with a spoon, you smiled at it and Tsuyo awed at it before you answered.

Agent8: Has she been giving you any trouble?

CraigCuttlefish: She couldn't get to sleep for her nap, but she fell asleep eventually, and she woke up not that long ago. Have you eaten lunch yet?

Agent8: Yes, I'm eating it now. I'm sharing it actually.

You attached a photo of you and Tsuyo eating lunch, who was unfortunately caught in the middle of eating a sausage. You apologized to her and sent it anyway.

CraigCuttlefish: Hibiki, who are they? And why do you keep meeting strangers?

Agent8: That's Tsuyo, they're one of Maru's students. He had to bring her as he couldn't leave her alone, it's the weekend so he could've been holding a Weekend Class.

"_**Did I have those back home?"**_

CraigCuttlefish: Alright then, is she staying for dinner?

Agent8: I'm not sure, I'll ask now.

Rolling4Rush: Sorry kid, but Tsuyo will have to be out of here by 17:30. Maybe another day, the summer break for her is coming up soon, so she'll be spending more time with me.

CraigCuttlefish: That's a shame, but there's nothing you can do I suppose.

Agent8: I should probably get back to doing the tests, thank you for the lunch, and thank you for helping me with the tests. :)

CraigCuttlefish: No problem at all, as long as you get fed than I won't worry.

Rolling4Rush: No problem kid.

You closed the chat log and started to pack up the lunch, you had both eaten your fair share and were full- but not overly so. You returned the lunch pack back to Iso Padre and Maru came back into the carriage and instructed Tsuyo to stay behind on the train, for he was going to take over until the two of them had to leave. She complied and sat down, you selected an 8-Ball level where you had to deliver it to the goal, as you walked off the train with Maru.

A thought had entered your head, how long would it be until you got to the Promised Land? You had collected 2 of the thangs, and were almost halfway through the tests-there were 80 in total and you had completed 38 so far. 'Once I complete this one, I'll have 39 done...' You muttered to yourself, Maru noticed this and asked if you were alright, you nodded and you both went ahead with the test.

Your weapon was a Splattershot Jr., and Maru had their signature Splat Roller. As you completed the test, Maru would ask you questions like 'How are the tests going so far?', 'Have Pearl and Marina checked in on you often?' and so on and so forth. As you were about to put the 8 Ball into a Rail, Maru stopped you and asked- 'Have you gotten some of your memories back yet?', you paused and thought deeply.

You had gotten some of your memories back- but they were mostly related to your past, like how you learnt about the Great Turf War in school, the people you worked with back 'home' _**"Wherever that may be**_…" , the soldiers that appeared in your dream to chase you down that familiar corridor. You answered simply, 'I suppose so, but they mostly relate to my past. However- I keep on having this dream...'. You said as you shot the 8 Ball gently into the Rail and it activated an Ink Rail once it had hit the platform below. 'What's the dream about?' Maru asked calmly, before walking over to the ink rail and beckoning for you to follow him.

As you swam through and reached the other side, Maru had taken care of an enemy that had just spawned in, they motioned for you to continue and you did. 'I'm in a blank corridor, there's a woman with me, she's wearing the standard Octarian Soldier uniform- she has a charger on her back and a baby sling in the front. She's holding my hand tightly, and we're running. Alarms start going off, and soldiers that I had seen and defeated in my first test are there, maybe they're one and the same. She hands me the baby sling and tells me to run, I obey her... and I see my little sister inside... I hear her scream and I turn around, and she's been shot in the leg and she tells me to run again, before she's shot... in the c-chest. I just run and run... and then I wake up on the subway floor, where Mr Cuttlefish found me…'.

The older man watched you finish before he put his arms around you and hugged you gently, he pulled back slightly and wiped your cheeks- you didn't realise it, but you had been crying. He told you softly to finish the test, you did so and as you got back on the train, he told you to finish up early and not do anymore tests. You were going to protest, but it appeared that he wanted to talk to you, so you stepped into the second carriage and spoke to him.

'This woman... what does she look like?' He asked, 'I can't fully remember... but our ink and eye colour are the same, yet- I look more like the man...' You responded. 'The man?' He inquired, you explained 'The man, I seen him with the woman. He wore the old Octarian Soldier uniform before it was changed, he had resurrection ink on him _**"Too much…"**_ and parts of his body were maimed a-and stained with it..._** "It's too much…"**_ I don't know who he is though and I don't know the woman either. Yet… I-I recognise them both, they're... familiar to me... B-but I can't…' Your voice had started to trail off and your vision became blurry. You were on the verge of tears, before Maru hugged you again with more warmth- that of someone who has comforted others many times before.

"_**IT'S TOO MUCH!"**_

You had broke and you started sobbing, your cries leaving you choked and muffled. Maru pulled you closer and soothed you, letting you sob into his shoulder to lessen the emotional pain. You cried and cried- until there was nothing left, the tears had since dried up, but the pain was still there- within your heart... You seemed to have tired yourself out from your sorrow- and had fallen asleep. Eventually, you woke up in the dormitory and were in your room. You were under the covers of your bed, yet you were still wearing your test uniform and your shoes were by the door.

You got up out of bed and made it, before leaving the room and started to head downstairs...

Chapter 5, Part 1, End


	11. Chapter 5, Part 2

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'I don't blame Agent 3 for what happened... It was an accident, a horrible one...'

After our main character wakes up from his short rest, it appears that he will discover an echo of his past. A tragic one, but one that he has since made his peace with. Or has he?

Chapter 5 Part 2

You wandered down the stairs in a haze, you looked around and found an old clock ticking away, standing tall like a soldier ready for duty- it read 16:30. You walked into the cafeteria to find Cap'n Cuttlefish sitting at a table with a pot of tea and two cups, he looked up at you and had motioned for you to come over to him and sit down. You walked over and saw he had a concerned and serious look on his face, as you got closer- you noticed a file that was filled, it wasn't overly-filled yet it wasn't under-filled. It was somewhere in between. _**"Are those… What I think they are?"**_

You sat down in front of him and he poured a cup of herbal tea, one for himself and one for you. He waited, silently, before looking at you directly in the eye and beginning. 'My boy, I believe it's time I told you what I know...' He then reached over to the file and opened it, before handing you multiple documents. They weren't that old and three of them were fairly new- a year or two old at most. The first one was of the man from your dreams and a death certificate stating his cause of death, 'Respawn Point Failure'. You recognised the certificate and swallowed, hard. _**"This is…" **_A blank yet monotone look overcame you as you studied the death certificate, it looked familiar to you and an echo of your past was remembered.

It was two years ago and you were 10, and after a fight with a highly-dangerous Inkling armed to the teeth with gear and weapons, along with multiple failed attempts to respawn- he had to be forcefully terminated. You were later visited by some higher ranking officers in the evening, and you were handed a copy of the death certificate stating how he had died, his uniform was handed to you as well- but the goggles were missing.

You remember her reaction; falling to the floor and screaming, before she started to cry- her heart was broken that day and she would never get it back. _**"If he is indeed what I believe he is… then would she…"**_ 'Do you remember how when I first met you, I told you that you had fought my protege Agent 3? That wasn't you... It was your-' he stumbled, 'Father' You interrupted, you continued by saying. 'I remember it now, he was on patrol and he was unfortunate enough to encounter Agent 3, but that wasn't what killed him. The Respawn Point malfunctioned and... Well, it's there in writing isn't it?'.

You paused before continuing.

'I want you to know this Captain, I don't blame Agent 3 for what happened... It was an accident, a horrible one. She was heartbroken that day and I missed him terribly, we both did and I have since made my peace with it… However, I remember how at the end of it all… The Calamari Inkantation... The one, true, heavenly melody- was performed.

I remember being there and the woman took off her goggles and realised something, the mind control was broken and many of our people were freed. Although we suffered many casualties and losses, we gained something else- hope. The hope for a better life, instead of staying in the dark and suffering under the hands of a vicious ruler.' You became ecstatic and stood up, your voice becoming louder.

'She wanted more for me, and her future child, my sister. She started to plan it out, finding the best way out and what to do when we would reach the surface. It took two years- but after his defeat again, she took the chance, and made a break for it. Even if she didn't make it, look who made it- Me and my little sister!'. You laughed as the feeling inside of you made you feel giddy, you continued on- with more passion in your voice.

'I don't want to stop doing the tests, I will complete every single one and get to the Promised Land… I want to fulfil her wishes Captain, she wanted to take us to the Promised Land, and give us a new start...'. Your voice had trailed off and you came down from your high.

The old man looked at you flabbergasted, and you apologized quietly, before sitting down again. You looked at the second document, it was off you-you quickly looked at the third document and saw your little sister. Yours was more detailed than hers, for it contained your ID number; your date of birth; your medical details; what school you attended and the courses you took; any certificates or awards you received; and the day you went missing. Whilst your little sisters' only contained her ID number, her date of birth- only three months prior, her medical information so far, and the day she went missing.

'I'm sorry my boy,' The old man said solemnly, 'I've yet to find any documentation of the woman you talked about, with Maru... I hope you can forgive me for that...'. His voice had trailed off and he went quiet, you smiled sympathetically at him and put your hand over his. 'I forgive you.' You said, he looked up at you, and sighed in relief.

The rest of the day passed by quickly, and you had dinner; talked to Pearl and Marina for a bit as they checked up on you; played with your little sister for a while and finally got ready for bed.

As you lay under the covers after you said a prayer with Cap'n, you fell asleep briskly and were met with a familiar face...

It was the man you recognised from the first document, your father.

Chapter 5, Part 2, End.


	12. Chapter 5, Part 3

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'Please... come back, I don't want to be alone...'

Our main character deals with the grief from an echo of his past, only to later find hope in the fantasies of the Promised Land, but will that hope be shattered and completely ruined?

Chapter 5 Part 3

You were floating somewhere- it was just a blank space, devoid of any colour. A black void similar to the void of the Deepsea Metro, your father was in front of you. He looked at you and smiled, before he started to speak in a distorted voice. 'I can't believe how much you've grown Hibiki, last I remember you were only this tall...' He moved his hand to where his waist was, and patted it as though there was something there. _**"Am I really that short? Was I really that short? To be fair…"**_

He continued, 'You have a little sister now, I wish I could've met her... I always wanted two children, a boy and girl- that's what I always wanted… Your mother; a boy; a girl and me, that would be nice…' He went on dreamily, his voice had softened and it almost went back to normal.

'Of course if I had two girls or two boys, or even multiple children; I wouldn't mind... After all, your mother struggled to have children, we went through two losses before we had you. I remember seeing you the day you were born, you were tiny but you were there- whenever I first held you, I cried.' His voice became even more distorted and garbled, as he started to cry, his sobs started to wear down your layers and made your heart broke.

'I'm sorry I couldn't be here for you, for your sister. If you had made it to the Promised Land with your mother, or all of us. I would be happy, I never wanted you to grow up in a world filled with hate and oppression, neither did she. We wanted better for you, and any of our future children.'

He couldn't continue for he had reached his breaking point and started to cry freely, you went over to him and hugged him tightly. Like he would do to you and your mother… Yes your mother, when he came from a long day of patrol. _**"He was always so glad to see us, I think I know why now…" **_You then soothed him by saying.

'It's ok father, I will get to the Promised Land- I promise you both. Even if I don't make it… I want her to get to the Promised Land. So she can grow up and be a child, without having to live in a world of anger- she can live in one filled with love.' Your voice wobbled near the end, and tears started to fill your own eyes.

Your voice broke, as you squeaked out. 'I want to know who my mother is, but I can't… I can't…can't remember her, not even slightly. I don't want to not have any memories of her, I want to be able to tell my little sister about her mother- what she was like. How she loved us both and wanted to take us to the Promised Land, so that we could live a better life. Than... Than... Than the one back 'home'...

You couldn't continue and you broke, tears flowed down your face and your father wrapped his arms around you and hugged you tighter. You didn't notice it at first, but he was cold, with the exception of where his heart would be- for it was warm and soothing.

The man had regained some composure, and tearfully he whispered, 'I'm sorry... I have to go now... Don't give up…' before he started to fade away completely, 'No, wait! Come back, come back!' You tried to stop him but he faded away completely, leaving you alone- sobbing and heartbroken.

'Please... come back, I don't want to be alone...' You pleaded in between sobs, before they choked you completely. And all you did was curl up with your knees to your chest and stifle your tears...

You awoke suddenly, reaching a hand up to your face and touching it. It was wet, yet dry- with tears both new and old. Cap'n Cuttlefish was snoring lightly, and you could hear your little sister stirring in her cot. You decided to get up and check on her. _**"I hope she doesn't wake up…"**_ as you picked her up you noticed that she had a wet nappy- and would most likely start crying and wake everyone up if she wasn't sorted out soon, so you took her into the bathroom and changed her.

After you had finished, you took her back to your bed and lay down with her beside you- she had started to fall back to sleep and her features relaxed and her mouth opened slightly. Her small babbles and soft breathing was relaxing after that "dream". It had calmed you, seeing her like this- and it helped deal with the ache in your heart and the numbness that came with it, even if only slightly. You could feel sleep embrace you once again, and you fell back into a dream-less slumber.

As you awoke in the morning and you started to panic slightly, your companion didn't wake you up and he wasn't in the room. You were about to get up out of bed and investigate, when you saw the door open slightly and your companion on the other side. He held a tray in his hands and on it was a bottle of formula, two small plates with cut up fruit on them, two bowls of porridge and two glasses of water.

He set the tray on top of the dresser, before taking the pillows from the beds and setting them on the floor along with a blanket from his bed and putting it to the side, he beckoned for you to join him and sit on the floor. You sat up and took you little sister into your arms, before joining him on the floor and making yourself comfortable. He stood up and sat back down again, but not before setting the tray beside him and spreading the blanket evenly between the both of you.

He explained that since it was a Sunday, no tests would be held, as it was a resting day. Although, CQ Cumber would still have to work, so he wouldn't be here. You had both started to eat, and to fill the silence- you started making small talk, asking things like how are Callie and Marie doing, if Pearl and Marina had checked up on them, the list continued on, and on. However, one question stood out from the rest...

'What's the Promised Land like?' You asked, as you started to feed your little sister-who took the bottle hungrily. The old man had just put a spoonful of porridge in his mouth, thus- he started to simultaneously think and chew. He thought deeply for a few minutes, even after he had finished that mouthful of food, he took a long sip of water before he started.

'It's bright... there are no clouds in the sky- if any at all, the sun is warm and inviting. There's a lot of things to do aside from Turf War, you've heard of it haven't you? You could get a job in certain places- like Grizzco! Oh! You can participate in other sports like football; tennis; paintball and skateboarding to name a few. Yes I know, you could go shopping and buy whatever you like- so long as you have the money of course, and there are so many shops there that I've lost count. Why I almost forgot! You would be able to go to school, why- you could go to school with that Tsuyo girl, wouldn't you like that?'.

"_**That sounds… Nice… What would I buy though? Hmmm…"**_

The old man stopped to take a drink and continued, 'Your little sister, why she could do it all as well. Well, once she's old enough of course.' _**"I'd like for her to be able to do that... Yes, that would be nice…"**_

He then looked at your little sister, and asked a question himself. 'Say, when will she open her eyes? They've been closed for a while.' She had finished the bottle and started to fall asleep again, she settled in close to your heart and you rubbed her back- encouraging her to fall asleep and to get rid of any trapped wind, before you answered. 'She's three months old, so she should open them by the time she's around four months, however it could be later or earlier. Our young don't tend to open their eyes for so long- until they're fully developed, as in their senses and extra eyelids have formed properly.' You explained and the man looked slightly confused.

You went on to explain that Inklings have three eyelids, whilst Octolings have four. The two on the top and the bottom, and the one to stop anything getting in your eye whilst swimming in octopus form- similar to the Inklings squid form. However, since your species and various sub-groups were in the dark for so long- you had evolved to have an extra eyelid that would allow you to see in the dark much better than other Cephalopods.

The man was intrigued by this and thanked you for the new piece of knowledge, and got up to clear the dishes away. As he left, you put your little sister back in her cot before getting ready yourself. You couldn't wear your pyjamas for the rest of the day and so you decided to wear your test uniform anyway, even though you weren't doing any tests today. You decided to not put your shoes on and then put on the baby sling, before carefully putting your little sister inside and taking a walk around the dormitory.

You had walked for around fifteen minutes before you came across a room similar to your own, and you tested the doorknob to see if it was open. It was, and you opened it, carefully. Peeking inside and checking to see if anyone was in there, the room was lifeless and the inside was a standard bedroom- similar to your own. You walked in and saw something on the floor, it was an old box with pieces still inside, as you opened it up to check.

_**'Mr Cuttlefish would know what this is, I should show it to him...'**_ You picked it up gently and left the room, closing the door behind you. You walked downstairs and went into the cafeteria, you called out to your companion to see if he was there and he yelled back in reply. A few minutes later, he appeared with an apron on and a washcloth drying his hands-on he was most likely doing the dishes. He walked over to you and noticed what was in your hands, a look of happiness spread onto his face and he laughed.

'Oho! Squid Street eh? Me and my girls used to play this when they were younger, I haven't played it in years!' He was about to continue, but a knock on the dormitory entrance interrupted him, you went to answer it and as you opened it- you saw both Maru and Tsuyo standing outside. You greeted them both and welcomed them inside, you noticed that Maru was wearing more casual, comfier clothes and Tsuyo wore yellow ankle socks that matched her outfit- a white t-shirt and a dungaree dress with her normal white velcro strap shoes. _**"Cute, although I wouldn't dare say it out loud… "**_

(Platonic friendship or the blossoming of young love, I'll let you be the judge of that.)

You walked into the cafeteria and directed them to the table that held the Squid Street board game, which was now set up by Cap'n Cuttlefish. He looked up at you and the two guests and welcomed them, before beckoning them to sit down. You all sat down, and as you handed your little sister to Cap'n Cuttlefish he started to explain the rules, you had to traverse the board and buy out properties- you could also build stages and gear shops to increase your revenue, essentially you had to have the most money at the end of it to win and you had to avoid going to jail whilst putting your opponents out of business.

It sounded complicated yet fun, you were then instructed to choose a game piece to play with, and you chose a fat animal- you weren't sure what it was but it reminded you of something you had learned about in school. Maru chose a figure wielding a Splat Charger, Cap'n Cuttlefish chose a figure of his two grandkids and Tsuyo chose a figure of a shell of some kind.

You had played the game for around 30 minutes and so far you were doing well, Tsuyo was in debt and had to sell one of her properties, Maru was in jail for he was unlucky and pulled a 'Go to Jail' card from the deck and Cap'n Cuttlefish had the most businesses and stages out of all of you. Mahi-Mahi Resort and Moray Towers being his most profitable. _**"Mahi-Mahi Resort? What's a Resort, but what is a Mahi-Mahi?" **_

(Fun Fact! A Mahi-Mahi is the Hawaiian term for a Dorado, otherwise known as the Common Dolphinfish. Neat! )

Eventually, he had won and came in first place, with you coming in second- Maru in third and Tsuyo last. Tsuyo looked rather annoyed, her face scrunched up and she crossed her arms. You couldn't help but laugh at how funny she looked, even though it was fairly adorable- to you anyway.

You had all decided to stop playing Squid Street, and play another game instead. All of you settled on playing a game of charades, with Maru going first. They held up two of their fingers and started, they were performing an action similar to climbing. 'Oh, you're climbing on a climbing wall, like the ones in Musselforge Fitness!' Tsuyo cried, _**"Musselforge Fitness? It sounds rather expensive, maybe they might have something to lessen the price?"**_

Maru nodded and she got one point to her total. It was your turn and you decided to imitate the animal you used for Squid Street, you held up one finger and started, you turned your hands into paws and rested them by your chest- you tilted your head and everyone was still confused by it. 'Can we have a hint kid? We're kinda stumped here...' Maru asked sheepishly. 'The figure that I used for Squid Street...' You hinted, Tsuyo got it and blurted out 'Judd! That's what it is!'. You smiled at her as she got it right, and she got another point added to her total. _**"Is that what that animal is called? It sounds a lot like what the Cats of Legend were called, when I learned about them in school…" **_

The game continued on for an hour and eventually Tsuyo won, with Cap'n Cuttlefish in second place along with both you and Maru sharing third place. Maru checked the time on the clock in the middle of the cafeteria, it was 12:30. Your companion got up and went into the kitchen to prepare lunch, Maru went to help him. Leaving you and Tsuyo alone- to clean up the table and put the board game away.

You both sat down in the lounge area across from each other and relaxed, a few minutes passed and you had closed your eyes- you could hear shuffling beside you and you sensed someone was there. You opened one eye and saw Tsuyo beside you. You got up and let her sit down beside you. Surprisingly, she got you to lie back down and although hesitant- you complied and rested your head in her lap.

Timidly, she rested her hand on your head and started to stroke it- roughly where your hairstyle ended and started. You relaxed slightly and started to go limp, she then rubbed behind your ears which made you purr slightly, it wasn't until she started to rub your cheek that you started to fully relax and rest- purring loudly to show your contentment. She giggled slightly before saying in a hushed tone, 'You're just like Judd...'

'How so?' You asked sleepily, not bothering to turn around and look at her- the tentacle at the end of your hair swayed softly to show your relaxed state. She hummed in thought and muttered 'You purr like a cat... Do you enjoy affection, Hibiki?', she changed the conversation quickly to hide her embarrassment. You turned around and looked up at her, you smiled softly and nodded yes, taking note of the soft yellow hue that was spreading across her cheeks- before turning back around and lying down again.

A few minutes passed and you decided to return the favour, you sat up and patted your thighs to show that you wanted her to lie down and do the same as what you had done, only moments prior. A heavier yellow hue spread from her face to her neck and most likely her ears- where ever they were, she leaned against you with her back facing you and turned into squid form.

You were confused by this, but lifted her up anyways to put her against your chest- she was fairly light in humanoid form but she was even lighter in squid form. _**"If that was even physically possible..."**_ You started to hum what you remembered of the Calamari Inkantation- your voice filling the peaceful silence in the room, Tsuyo seemed to enjoy this and purred slightly. 'How's your knee? Has it healed well?' You asked, Tsuyo turned back into her humanoid form and pointed to her right knee, a plaster was on it and the skin around it was a normal colour- it wasn't infected and it had cleared up well- despite the fact that she had only sustained it the day before.

You then heard Maru call for you both to come into the cafeteria to eat lunch, you both got up and stretched before walking together to the cafeteria, a delicious aroma filled the air and you saw both Maru and Cap'n Cuttlefish setting up the table for you all to eat.

You saw noodles in a simple vegetable broth in a high bowl, along with some fried tofu as a side dish on a large plate, along with a jug of water- in the centre of the table was a bowl filled with fresh, peelable oranges. The whole meal looked lovely and as you all started to tuck in and eat, you were filled with a sense of comfort and belonging, as you found wonderful people that you considered to be family and friends- in a place that wasn't a home but currently felt like one.

After the meal was over, Maru and Tsuyo had to leave early and as you all said goodbye. Tsuyo gave you a gentle hug before smiling and waving goodbye, you waved back and Cap'n Cuttlefish chuckled to himself- although he wouldn't explain why. More time had passed and you started to settle down to bed, and as you fell asleep dreaming- unaware of what was to happen tomorrow, the event that changed your life forever.

The day you found her and lost her...

Chapter 5, Part 3, End


	13. Chapter 6, Part 1

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'You weakly croaked out. 'Mother?''

Our main character has gone on to his 40th test in the Deepsea Metro, but what is it about this test that sets it apart from the rest?

Chapter 6, Part 1

You had woken up early and decided to get ready for the day, and as you finished- Cap'n Cuttlefish woke up and started to tend to your little sister before tending to himself. As you walked downstairs, you noticed that you actually felt hungry, which was unusual as most days you struggled to finish your food and back home you would only get so much from rations.

Although you never told Cap'n Cuttlefish about it, he most likely suspected that you were under weight and fed you nutritious and proper meals to help balance it out, you were still quite underweight but you figured that you would grow and earn a few stone once you got to the Promised Land.

'I wonder what it'll be today?' You asked aloud, unaware that Cap'n Cuttlefish was behind you- he made you jump in surprise as he answered. 'Nice of you to ask my boy, we're having some fruit and porridge- the same as yesterday. Do you want yesterday's dinner for lunch today, also should I pack an extra pair of utensils for that Tsuyo girl?' He asked, with a curious tone at the end- you looked at him and nodded, before both of you walked into the cafeteria and he handed your little sister to you to look after whilst he prepared everything.

30 minutes barely passed and he had already completed his tasks, as he brought out the tray- you couldn't help but notice how the food smelled even more delicious than the lunch from yesterday. As you tucked in to your food, you thoughts turned to Tsuyo- it was Monday today and she would be in school soon. You wondered if she would even come to help out but you doubted it, you also wondered if she had lunch and would share it with someone else. Now that you thought about, she looked quite small and almost under-weight like you are, which explains why she was so light- you wondered if she was being treated well at home.

You decided to abandon those thoughts and continue eating, once you were finished- you helped clear the table; grabbed whatever else you needed and said goodbye before leaving with CQ Cumber. As you walked onto the train, you noticed a notification from the chat room and as you opened it you saw a message from Maru which read as follows.

Rolling4Rush: Sorry kid, Tsuyo will be in school today and for the rest of the week. I have to help my soon-to-be mother in law running her flower shop, so we can't help you today... But, Marina and Pearl will be able to help you out. Alright, see you soon kid, take care of yourself out there. :)

Although saddened by the lack of help, you decided that it might be a nice change to be alone for once. As Iso Padre got onto the train, he asked you for the lunch box and you handed it to him. You then chose a test to do and waited for the train to stop before getting off, however...

You would come to regret that decision later on...

As CQ Cumber pulled up to the station you noticed him mumbling about something, when you asked him what he said- he replied with something along the lines of. 'I haven't seen this test area before... I advise that you handle this area, with caution. I don't know what's in there...' He said in a monotone, yet worried tone.

You chose the only weapon available to you, which was an Octo Roller that you had seen back at "home", you remembered that you would use it often during training practice with the woman- no, mother. As you swiped the pass, you couldn't help but notice how the area was similar to the training grounds you used back home, although it was more sinister and unsettling with the thick fog and lack of lighting.

As you began the test, you saw a figure standing up on a tall platform with a Octo-Litre 8K attached to her back, her hair was blowing gently in the breeze and as she turned around to face you... You recognised her and your heart dropped to your feet, your mouth went dry and your weapon slowly slipped out of your hands and onto the floor with a loud bang, you were filled with dread as you weakly croaked out. 'Mother?'.

The woman turned around and faced you completely, she then slung the weapon into her hands before charging it up fully and aiming it directly at you before saying in a robotic voice. 'Eliminate, Target 808...'. 'Agent 8! You need to move, now!' Marina yelled through the radio.

You quickly regained your senses and grabbed your weapon swiftly, dodging the incoming shot and hiding behind a wall. '8? You tight?" Pearl asked, her usual spunky voice turned quiet, her tone turning into concern. Your breathing started to quicken and you started to shake, you collapsed to the floor and started to cry softly.

'I don't- want to fight her Miss Pearl…' 'Sweet mother of Cod! She tried to harm you-' Marina interrupted with clear anger, but instructed you calmly. 'She is his mother, Pearl! He couldn't do that to her, even if she was sanitized or not.' She took a deep breath, regaining her composure 'Agent 8, try to reason with her… If you can't, I'm sorry to say this but… You have to do what you have to…' 'Thank you- Miss Ida, I'm going to turn off the radio now. I'd prefer to do this mission alone…' 'Ok, Agent 8… Be careful…' 'Y-yeah- Be careful yo…'

The women then signed off, leaving you alone with your thoughts and the echo of your mother.

You decided to take Marina's first piece of advice and you tried to reason with her, even begging her to stop, although… She wouldn't listen- and would only try to shoot you. You noticed that she would tremble and clutch her head as though she was remembering something, but she would quickly ignore it and go back to her main objective. You had sustained quite a few injuries and wanted it to end, the more injuries you received- the more she seemed to tremble and clutch at her head. _**"I'm sorry mother… I have to try something to put her out of her misery… A distraction maybe?" **_

As a distraction, you threw a Splat Bomb over the wall to another area which caused her to focus on that spot and it worked, for she had started to shoot at it. You then quickly snuck over onto the platform where she was and tackled her to the floor- disarming her in the process, you started to sob and picked up her weapon, but not before weakly singing what you remembered of the Calamari Inkantation. In the hopes of it working, like it had the previous times she had heard it.

You and me…

Forever revolving around the moon and sun…

We need to fuel the song…

We need to give in…

Give in to the one true heavenly melody…

You need to hear our song…

Your voice trailed off and your tears fell freely now, the woman seemed to remember you. 'Hibiki? Is that you?' She asked, her robotic voice regaining a note of her humanity back, whilst starting to wobble as she teared up. 'Yes, Mother, it's me...' You replied, tears clouding your vision and blurring her face, her hands reached up to wipe away your tears and she removed her now defunct hypno-shades, she looked at you and smiled weakly.

The whites of her eyes were now black but her pupils remained the same colour as yours- albeit faded. Her hair was the same colour as yours, only at the ends though, for the rest was a strong shade of blue. Her skin was no longer pale, white and pure. It was now a tainted a sickly green, similar to that of the resurrection ink you had seen on your father.

**TRIGGER WARNING START: Implied Character Death Inbound, Scroll down to 'You remembered how you got into producing; designing and eventually creating weapons…' To skip that scene, you have been warned!**

'I have two things to ask of you my son...' she tremored, as her voice was growing weaker- her tears and emotions over powering her. 'I want you to terminate me... and carry out my last wish- get to the Promised Land. Can you do that for me?' She looked at you tearfully but remained strong, on the other hand- you couldn't hold back and started to cry even heavier.

'I can do the second thing, but I-I can't kill- you. I can't! Why can't you come with us? With me and her? We could all go to the Promised Land, couldn't we?' You reasoned, shaking as your sobs wracked your body, she took your hands into hers- trying to calm you before she continued. 'I'm sorry my son, truly I am… But I can't, I'm not, in the right state- we both know that. I don't want you, and especially your little sister, to remember me… As a monster...' her voice trailed off and the room grew quiet, with the exception of your sobs and her eerily calm breathing. Eventually, with a strong amount of hesitation, and pleading, and denial…

You got up, walked slowly and limply over to the charger, before picking it up with shaking hands and standing over her. She lay still, with her arms by her side- not even trying to stop you. _**"Why does she want to give up… She's not even coming up with another plan… Is- Is she- not even going to try?"**_

'How is she? Has she opened her eyes yet? What will she be called?' She asked weakly, as though she was tired and was about to pass on, your voice trembled as you replied. 'She's doing well, she's growing normally. She hasn't opened her eyes just yet, but I want to name her after the first thing she sees. Akatsuki maybe, I'd like for her to see the dawn break over the Promised Land, once we get there…'

Your voice wavered and you started to tremble once again as you brought the base of the weapon to your shoulder and rested it there, waiting for her command. She mused and smiled warmly, for a split second she looked like her old-self; but now she was only the shell of who she once was.

'I-I like it, Akatsuki, no- I love it. Your father would've loved it as well... Ok, Hibiki- I'm ready now... Go ahead- do it...' she sighed and waited. You charged up the shot, releasing the trigger and she jolted. In a fleeting instant, you collapsed to the floor beside her, her hands met yours and as her final breaths left her she told you. 'I love you Hibiki, I'm so proud of you my dear son... Look after Aka- for me, ok... I know you'll be- just… fine…'

'I love you too, and- and I will, I-I promise…'. For one last time, she wiped away your tears. Like she always did when you were a young child, before she had to leave for her patrols, she would always come back and you would cry tears of joy when she came back. Only this time, she was no longer here, she was gone- and she would never come back.

Your chest felt hollow and empty, you went to lay over her body and you started to cry- the weight of your actions only hitting you now with the force of regret; sorrow and the re-emergence of memories you had forgotten but now had back. From deep within you, a voice from within rose to argue with you with your inner conflicts.

"_**I'm sorry; I'm sorry;**_ _**I'm sorry; I'm sorry;**_ _**I'm sorry; I'm sorry;**_ _**I'm sorry; I'm sorry;**_ _**I'm sorry; I'm sorry;**_ _**I'm sorry; I'm sorry;**_ _**I'm sorry; I'm sorry;**_ _**I'm sorry; I'm sorry… I'm so sorry- Mother… **__**She's gone Hibiki- why are you apologising,**__** won't she come back? Can't she just- **__**re-spawn? No, she's gone.**____**She's gone.**____**She's gone.**____**She's gone. Gone, she's gone. She's truly gone Hibiki… She won't come back, you know that. Then why are you wishing that she'll come back, even though you know well enough that she won't, not anymore… You aren't a child anymore Hibiki, it's time to grow up and face realit- **__**No! No, I don't want to- no just yet… Leave me alone! Please… Be quiet.**_ _**Be quiet.**_ _**Be quiet… I said, BE QUIET!"**_

Out of anger, you threw the Charger against the wall with such tremendous force, that it shattered into two- with other pieces of it breaking into even more tiny pieces. You realised what you had done and felt shame, pure, unadulterated shame.

**TRIGGER WARNING END:**

You remembered how you got into producing; designing and eventually creating weapons, you watched her repair and look after her beloved charger as a young boy. Always fascinated with how she would delicately use her roughened hands to gently clean the insides of the piping, to keep it clean and in peak condition. She always noticed your fascination for weapons, even from such a young age. That as soon as you were able to go to school, she allowed you to go into weapon-making as your main subject.

Even though she didn't like violence too much and would only use it when necessary, she saw how much weapons meant to you and decided to put away her differences to make you happy. Under the watchful guidance of the higher Combat Weaponry Engineers, you flourished and your designs quickly became the standard use for all weapons used amongst the Octarian Army and the Elites, for they were highly efficient plus cost effective on all materials and resources used for weaponry.

Eventually, the Higher Ups saw how well the Octosnipers performed with your upgrades and commissioned a highly powerful Charger that was to be used by the very best of the Elites. This led to you creating the Octo-Litre 4K, a weapon similar to the E-Litre 4K but with a higher damage capacity; less ink consumption and a much longer range with or without a scope.

However, you made a much more powerful weapon for one person only. The Octo-Litre 8K, a weapon that was highly dangerous, with barely any ink consumption and had the range of two Octo-Litre 4K's regardless of it being scoped or not. That weapon was for your mother, a "present" of sorts. She loved it and cherished it, proud that her own flesh and blood had designed a great weapon to deter anyone who dared to try and break into enemy territory. Now, the only thing that was left of her- was destroyed by your hands.

"_**Now- there's nothing left…"**_

You looked at her features and observed them, closing her eyes and her mouth- her lips almost parted to look as if though she was only sleeping, essentially giving her a more peaceful look- happy even. So much so that she looked like she was asleep- you were glad that she was no longer in pain. Unbeknownst to you, a figure stood behind you in a white kimono and sat down in front of you as you lay over her body.

'Although you may not notice me- I am still here my son…' She began, stopping to see if she heard you- seeing that you didn't reassured her and she continued.

'For although my physical being may no longer be here, my spirit has been here all this time, Hibiki. I was the one guiding you towards the tests- I was the driving force that told you to keep going- even if you were tired. For I wanted you to complete them, and over time- regain what was taken from you.' She paused, not wishing to say goodbye just yet- tears rolling down her cheeks. She breathed in deeply, the exhale coming out as a slight sigh- giving her the strength to finally start finishing her final words.

'I-I was the one that allowed you to be free, you and your sister, Hibiki… Now- you have done that for me Hibiki, you freed me from the cage of a body- that although was me a long time ago… It is now just a husk of a mindless host, that was reprogrammed to follow the orders of someone like the man that trapped us all underground previously…'

Her expression changed to one of pain, as she gritted her teeth and tried to swallow the emotions that choked her. As her eyes settled upon you, it softened and almost calmed- although tears were still present, it seemed that they were no longer of deep sorrow- but rather newfound joy. She got up and walked behind him, turning to face his back- she once again spoke.

'I am so thankful to you my son- and once you have grown out of this place, and all the challenges it may send you- even when you are no longer here. The locker will open, and my final gift to you will be revealed, ah- it appears that I don't have much time left… Although I do have to depart for now, I will see you again soon my son- take care my dear child and before I really have to go…' She said, turning the other way and starting to walk away, then stopping and turning her head to look at the grieving figure still on the floor.

'You may not realise it just yet- there is always someone out there who loves you, even that girl who is too stubborn for her own good. Farewell, Hibiki, I love you dearly my son…' She whispered, walking away until she had faded away, meanwhile the boy she was speaking to was still grieving. Unaware of how much time had passed, or when CQ Cumber left to get Cap'n Cuttlefish and Maru.

'How long has he been there?' Cap'n Cuttlefish asked quietly, 'Since this morning, he's been here ever since...'. CQ Cumber answered- his voice also quiet. Maru went over to you and sat down beside you, he waited patiently whilst deciding what to do next. He put a hand on your shoulder and left it there for a few moments to gauge your reaction, he started to rub your back and you whimpered.

He got you to face him before he hugged you gently and ran a soothing hand down your back, although your tears had long since dried up- you still sobbed strongly, for the ache in your heart was too much to bear.

You had both stayed like this for a while, before he got up and lifted you with some struggle onto the train, but you didn't notice. You were just empty and lifeless, you couldn't eat the lunch or dinner you were given at the dormitory, you ignored your little sister and you ignored the others- for you simply didn't have the energy to deal with them.

They were concerned about you, but after a while- it seemed that they understood that you needed time to grieve. Alone. You got ready for bed slowly, and as you lay under the covers- you were awake and couldn't sleep. Memories from that day and from years ago, replayed over and over again- doing nothing but only worsening your broken heart...

Chapter 6, Part 1, End.


	14. Chapter 6, Part 2

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'You miss her, don't you?'

As our main character is left to deal with the grief, a girl has come to cheer him up against the others failed attempts. Will she succeed and make him feel better, or will he push her away like the others…

Chapter 6, Part 2

It was Saturday today, you hadn't left to complete any tests. You would barely function and barely left the bed, only to go to the bathroom or change your clothes when you had to. You would lie there awake and in agony, or crying over her and how much you missed her. Cap'n Cuttlefish would bring you food and place it on the bedside table, you would barely touch it but you would thank him anyway. You just wanted to be alone and stay there, collecting your thoughts and dealing with the grief.

"_**I want to get over it- get over what happened, I really do! I want to get back into the tests and get out of here- I want to get out of here, but- I can't seem to find it in me, to leave…"**_

A soft knock came from the other side but you would not answer, they came in anyway and sat down beside you on the bed. You felt a familiar hand lay on your shoulder before they spoke, 'I heard about what happened, have you been feeling any better?'. It was Tsuyo, but you only turned around slightly to acknowledge her- before turning around again and ignoring her.

'You don't have to force yourself to talk to me, I'm an Inkling and you're an Octoling- I can see why you're suspicious of me.' She repeated what you had first said to her when you met her although differently, in an attempt to cheer you up. She waited patiently for a response, but you didn't even budge.

'Do you remember when we first met, a week ago? I didn't like you too much at first, but you grew on me, eventually. Even though we don't know much about each other, I'd consider you to be a friend, a good friend...' Her voice grew warmer at the end, and you could tell she genuinely meant it. You rolled over to face her, and although you didn't look at her- you could tell she frowned slightly in disapproval over the bags under your eyes.

She took a bold move and lay down beside you, above the covers and reached a hand out to touch your face. 'You look rough, when was the last time you ate something? Or even slept?' She kept her hand there as a soft, yet comforting pressure. Your mouth was dry and you couldn't answer her, she seemed to know that you hadn't eaten anything properly in a while and had gotten up to leave. "You're a good friend too Tsuyo, thank you for being here…"

She returned a few minutes later with a tray that contained a bowl of vegetable noodle soup, a plate with two slices of bread and a glass of water with a small pitcher. She set it on the bedside table and encouraged you to sit up, reluctantly- you sat up with the pillow supporting your back.

She then held the bowl in her hands and took a small amount of noodles with the chopsticks and offered them to you, slowly you opened your mouth and took a mouthful of noodles before chewing it and swallowing it. This continued for some time until you had finished both the soup and bread, leaving nothing more than a few crumbs and droplets. "It's good to have fully eaten food again, but the way that she fed me… Did she have to do that for someone else before?"

You lay back down on your side and Tsuyo joined you, this time- under the covers. She put her hand back on your cheek and kept it there for a few seconds, before removing it and going to hug you- her hand then set to rubbing soothingly over your back, roughly where the large scar from the explosions of failed tests where.

Silently, you were grateful for this and loosely put an arm around her as well, to show your appreciation. You had both stayed like this for a while, but Tsuyo broke it by placing a hand on your cheek and looking at you, her bright turquoise eyes studied your dull midnight green eyes. **"What is this feeling in my chest? It's not grief; sadness or anger… What is it then?"**

'You miss her, don't you?' Her expression softened and tears started to form in your eyes, she said softly 'It's ok to feel like this, it's part of the process... My own mom isn't here anymore and I still miss her, I never got to say goodbye- but I'm glad that you did Hibiki, you both got to say goodbye... I can imagine that- she loved you a lot, and although she may not have had all of her memories- she remembered the few things she loved. That included you Hibiki-'

Her voice suddenly trailed off into the air and she stopped, for she noticed that you had started to cry and she held you again, she allowed you to cry into her shoulder for as long as you needed. Long after you had finished crying, she still held you and rubbed your back to sooth you. **"Aside from that odd feeling, I'm glad you're here… Thank you, Tsuyo…"**

She then started to hum a song that you didn't recognise, but found it soothing to listen to. You hoarsely asked, 'Your voice is nice... can you sing that song for me? Please...' She stopped humming, and started to sing.

In the morning light, I catch your gaze (you follow my eyes)

You look familiar, (have we met before?)

I swear we have, but I do not know. Although...

I may never, never know.

My dear darlin' I do know you, but do you know me?

You ask me to meet you by the morning shore, and as the tides go out

I wonder how you'll greet me, when we finally meet...

Love takes many forms, down by the shoreline. And

as I stand their looking out, I wonder when you will come back to me...

I call out for you, but you disappear...

When I see you gone, 'please accept my feelings for you...' I whisper,

Tears rolling down my cheeks...

Is it all a dream? Is it all a dream? No it must not be...

I want you to come back to me, it will not make a difference.

It will not make a difference, even if you come back different.

It will not matter to me…

You didn't realise it until later, but you had fallen asleep to her singing, as you woke up- you noticed that she was no longer there. You were about to sulk- but she came back into the room and noticed that you were awake again, she went over to you and ruffled your hair gently and asked how you slept. You guessed that were asleep for only 40 minutes, but muttered a simple, 'Fine...' as an answer.

You invited her back under the covers and as you both shared the warmth and company, you then started to learn more about each other. From simple things like your birthdays, what you had learnt so far in school, what you wanted to do in the future- to more serious things like fears, dark secrets and things you secretly enjoyed that no one else knew about. By the end of the day, you had learned her birthday; full name; what year she was in for school and overall what she liked and disliked. After she was gone, you noticed a small bit of paper underneath your pillow. You pulled it out and read it.

'Know that you shouldn't get over her just like that- it will take some time for you to do so. Grief is "funny" like that, but once you get to the Surface- I promise you that there will be many people out there that wish to help you. Including me; Maru; Rei and many others, I hope that you know that you are loved dearly and until then… I hope that you sleep well, and maybe you'll have a nice dream. Sweet dreams, Hibiki!'- Tsuyo Aina

Below the piece of writing, was a doodle of her on a star. Your mouth curled into a soft smile and put it in the bedside table for safe-keeping. As you put it away, Cap'n Cuttlefish walked in and put your little sister to bed before getting ready for bed himself, you decided to get ready for bed as well and went to pick your little sister up. Taking her to bed with you. You settled her down beside you and as her breathing steadied to show signs of her falling asleep, you noticed how much she looked like your mother- it provided some relief for your healing heart and as you fell asleep, you made a promise to yourself.

"**I will reach the Promised Land and carry out her final wishes, even if I don't make it. I want a better future for her, no matter what it may cost me..."**

Chapter 6, Part 2, End.


	15. Chapter 7, Part 1

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'I hope that... You can forgive me.'

As our main character is trying to distract himself from the grief, and planning out his last few tests. He snaps at a person he considers to be a good friend, but can he make up it up to them and not regret it?

Chapter 7 Part 1

As you awoke on the Sunday, something within you changed- the grief you once felt was practically gone and instead replaced with something else... Something that you would later learn as determination- the determination to carry on and achieve your mother's last wish, the determination to reach the promised land, the determination to have a new life, the determination to get out of this codforsaken Metro Station...

Cap'n Cuttlefish noticed your new demeanour at breakfast, but decided to not comment on it. He instead focused on your little sister, who was currently trying to eat his beard- and although it was cute, you couldn't focus on it. You had more important things to deal with after all...

After breakfast, you asked Cap'n Cuttlefish for a piece of paper and a pencil. He gave you his notebook that he used to draw a sketch of Agent 3 with both the help of you and Maru, as he dealt with the dishes, you started to draw out a map of the Metro Map from your CQ-80 and a list of what stations you had cleared; yet to clear and the remaining thang locations.

After a few failed attempts, you got it right and looked at it- you had another 40 tests to complete and 2 more thangs to collect. You then decided to draw another copy of the Metro Map, and crossed out the stations you had cleared and the 2 thangs you collected.

As you sat back in the cafeteria chair, you started to wonder how long it would take you to complete the remaining tests. However, that thought was interrupted by a knock on the door- you got up and brought the notebook with you, walked to the front entrance and opened the door slightly, Maru and Tsuyo were on the other side. Maru looked slightly dishevelled, as if though they hadn't slept well but hid it with a look of surprise to see you up. Whereas Tsuyo greeted you with a smile, and asked if they could come in- you opened the door wordlessly and let them in.

Maru went to sit down in the cafeteria and to talk to Cap'n Cuttlefish, who had most likely just finished washing the dishes. You and Tsuyo were in the lounge area, you had sat down on a couch and Tsuyo stood near you to see if you would allow her to sit beside you. Although you didn't say anything, she sat down beside you and looked at what you were working on, she then laid her head on your shoulder and you tried to act annoyed.

She could see right through you and laughed, and for once- she made you blush instead of the other way around. She watched you work for a while before asking what you were doing, 'I'm figuring out how many tests I've yet to complete, so then I can get out of here. I don't know how long it'll take me, that's what I'm trying to figure out...'. She hummed before saying, 'Can I give you a hand?'. 'No.' You responded, she whined, pouted and crossed her arms.

Stubbornly, she insisted and you relented- she thanked you and began to look at it carefully. She studied it for a few minutes before saying quietly, 'Hibiki... Which is which?' You responded annoyed, to which she shivered slightly. 'What do you mean which is which, there's a key at the bottom. Read it...' You placed more emphasis on the "it", and she got the message loud and clear- she studied it some more and when she still didn't get it, you sighed loudly before taking it off her.

'Just forget it, if you can't understand it- than how can you help me!' You snarled, raising your voice slightly. You were both taken aback by your sudden outburst, Tsuyo had a few tears in the corners of her eyes and you simply stared at her regretfully. _**"I didn't mean that… I'm sorry Tsuyo, I just feel a bit grumpy… But that shouldn't justify what I did…"**_

Tsuyo's tears had left her and she tried to hide her sobs, you felt bad but you weren't sure what to do. The silence was stifling, as you sat there quietly- all you could hear was your breathing; Tsuyo's muffled sobbing and the distant sound of muttering from the cafeteria.

You placed the papers in the middle of an old coffee table, and turned to face her. She looked away from you fearfully and shrinked back into her corner of the couch as you approached her, as you wrapped your arms around her and hugged her- she started to cry properly and buried your face into your shoulder. Similar to what she did for you, only the day prior.

You had both sat there for a while and as she started to calm down, you asked her to look at you. Although reluctant, she did so and you started to apologise. 'Tsuyo, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you, I just- lost my temper… I feel grumpy today, and that shouldn't justify my actions... and... and I hope that... You can forgive me.'

You stumbled over your words, as though you were repenting for the greatest sins a person can commit. 'No Hibiki, it's my fault… I annoyed you too much, and I pushed you over the edge... I thought I was being helpful but I was just a burden, I always am... I should be the one to ask for forgiveness, not you...'

As her words left her, your insides felt numb, for your suspicions about her home life may have been more likely than you wanted them to. _**"The way she cowered when I raised my voice, and how she flinched when I went near her… That isn't a good sign at all…"**_

You decided that it would be best if both of you calmed down and chilled out for a while, you lay down on the couch and motioned for her to lie down with you. She turned into her squid form and started to slide up towards you, you decided to pick her up for conveniences sake and held her by your chest.

She was still teary eyed and shaky, you frowned and held her closer- resting your chin onto her head. She seemed to enjoy it slightly, you could tell that from the light purrs she emitted every so often. Eventually, you had both fallen asleep and when you awoke- you saw what you still consider to be one of the cutest things you've ever seen.

Tsuyo was back in her human form, her face looked peaceful as she slept, she was using her arms as a pillow and her face was pressed lightly against it. Her outfit was essentially the same as yesterday's, the only difference being a white sweater with a small red button on it. _**"Isn't it meant to be summer? Hmm, maybe it's a bit cold today on the Surface…" **_

You fumbled about for your CQ-80 and opened it up to take a picture, you quickly took one and saved it- for you didn't want to forget this moment without some form of documentation. _**"She mightn't be too happy with me if she finds out, but I just think she's too cute! Now I have something much- nicer, to remember my Metro days by I suppose!"**_

You stretched over to place the CQ-80 on the floor before turning your attention back to her, you decided to see how she would react to the ends of her hair being touched.

You pressed them lightly with your finger tips and gauged her reaction, she didn't react so you tried something else. You started to rub small circles onto the back of her hair, she started to purr slightly- you took it as a sign that she was enjoying it and most likely conscious to some degree. You decided to see what would happen if you were to pet her head. You didn't expect such a happy response, she purred even louder and even nuzzled into your chest to show her happiness.

You reached for the CQ-80 with the hand that was resting in the centre of her back, to take a photo quickly before she noticed- thankfully she didn't and you sighed in relief. You heard Cap'n Cuttlefish call you both for lunch from the cafeteria, you gently woke Tsuyo up and set the CQ-80 on the table- before the pair of you walked into the cafeteria to eat lunch.

After lunch, you decided to take your little sister and Tsuyo upstairs to plan some more whilst occasionally taking a break to play with her. You and Tsuyo lay down on your stomachs with your little sister in between you and her. Tsuyo mostly played with her, whilst you planned it out. After 30 minutes, you had a list of what stations you were going to complete first before moving on to the thangs you would collect along the way.

You set the pieces of paper carefully inside the drawer of the bedside table and put the notepad and pencil on top of the bedside table, so that Cap'n Cuttlefish could get it back later. You turned your attention to your little sister and decided to lie down on you back with you head being supported by a pillow, so she could take an impromptu nap.

'How old is she?' Tsuyo asked, her left arm supporting her cheek and her right hand twirling the end piece of her hair. 'She's three months old, why?' You responded, her face took on a look of surprise and awe, she stuttered a few times before she blurted out. 'How? She looks at least six months, heck- even 1 year!'

You shushed her before she apologized quietly, you could understand what she meant- she was most likely used to seeing Inkling children and had never seen an Octoling child before. You explained, 'Octoling children tend to gain their human forms faster than Inkling children, however the only difference is that we open our eyes later, for we have four eyelids- whereas you would have three. The extra one we have allows us to see in the dark, however certain eye conditions take this away- but you're still left with a shine that can freak people out.' She thought about something before concluding, 'Ok, so what you're saying is that Octolings develop slightly faster- but they take longer to open their eyes? Hmm, neat.'

'Tsuyo?' You asked, she hummed in response. 'What's the Promised Land like? You know, the people, and school- general things like that.' You asked, she thought about it carefully before saying, 'Well, most of the people are nice- some aren't. In school we tend to learn about normal things like Cephalish, Maths, Art, Music and Science. But things like P.E, Weapon Repair and Finance Management are very important, so a heavy emphasis is placed on these subjects. Shopping for gear and weapons are quite popular back home, so people need to learn how to manage their finances so they don't get into debt. Weapons are a key part of Turf War and Ranked Battles, so knowing how to look after them and repair them is important. P.E. is kinda obvious, so I won't go into too much detail.'

"_**Weapon Management is always good to know, but if I see someone incorrectly cleaning or repairing a weapon, I won't be too happy about it…"**_

You listened to everything she said intently, but you couldn't help but notice how her voice faltered as she mentioned how some people were bad. When you asked her about it, you noticed she tightened her grip on one's of her arms- specifically her left upper arm, and muttered something about people taking things away from you and how it sucked.

"_**Is she hiding something with the sweater? I don't know- it's probably a bad idea to bring it up…" **_You could tell she was lying, but you decided to not press into the matter anymore- for you had upset her once today and you didn't want to do it again.

You decided to change the subject and ask if she was coming to see you tomorrow and help you out, she responded ' As much as I'd like to, I can't... But, I finish school this Wednesday. So maybe I'll be able to see you then...'. She smiled softly, and as she did so both of you heard Maru calling for her, she got up and waved goodbye- before she closed the door behind her and her footsteps became lighter and lighter until… You couldn't hear them anymore. _**"Have a safe trip home Tsuyo…"**_

You looked down at your little sister, who was currently still asleep and held her tighter. You kissed the top of her head gently before whispering to her, trying to keep calm as the excitement inside you bubbled. 'Did you hear that Aka? We're going to be leaving for the promised land in three days...'. _**"I can't wait to get to the Surface and see her! Why does my chest feel so warm, and fuzzy though- is it excitement?"**_

Chapter7, Part 1, End


	16. Chapter 7, Part 2

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'Wait a second, BLADES?!'

As our main character begins to make his way to the Promised Land, what will happen to him as he realises the true power the thangs hold? Will he survive and reach the Promised Land, or will he become part of the toxic mixture that he has been fighting all along?

(Author's Note- Sorry for the late upload, this chapter is very long and I've had to split it up using the "-" symbol. Aside from that, please enjoy this chapter!)

Chapter 7 Part 2

Two days.

It had taken you two days to complete the rest of the tests, they were only passing you by like the blur of some other train cars you had seen. You wondered if perhaps there were others like you in the Deepsea Metro, running around completing the levels and finding the 'thangs' to an intricate puzzle- perhaps facing a 40th test similar to yours. You shook your head quickly, banishing those thoughts away elsewhere.

Whilst it was indeed possible for other people to pass through and do tests given how large the Deepsea Metro was, unsure of how large it truly was. You seemed to doubt it heavily- for although it was definitely possible, they would stay at the Deepsea Dormitory if they were completing the tests and chances are- you would've run into them eventually.

You barely stopped to take a break and tend to your wounds, or eat the lunch that Cap'n Cuttlefish made for you. You were too focused on getting to the Promised Land that you would take a bit of plain bread to eat quickly before heading out, leaving the poor old man to 'run' after you with the lunch box. 'Sweet mother of Cod me boy, you're a growing lad! You need to eat three meals a day- you're smaller than a stick, I'm not having anyone in my care go hungry. So make sure you eat well, you hear me?!' He yelled down the passageway, hobbling with his cane and the lunch box in one hand, supporting your little sister with the other.

You would laugh slightly as you responded with, 'I'll try, see you soon you two!' as you took the lunch box off of him and waved goodbye, heading off to complete the tests. He would always scold you whenever you got back late, telling you that 'You need to look after yourself boy, I don't want you getting sick!' or 'I swear, you remind me just of my Callie. That girl always put others before herself, there's nothing wrong with doing that now- it's rather a good thing. But remember this well bucko, sometimes you have to put yourself before others- now go on and eat, you need to rest!' whilst tending to your wounds and having you eat something whist he did so.

"_**Don't worry so much about me Cap'n, I may be fragile and unwell at times- but I can still look after myself!"**_

You were so fixated on the fact that you were going to the Promised Land, that you almost didn't realise that you had completed all of the tests and collected all of the thangs. That when you finally realised it- you were so over-joyed that you got Iso Padre to come with you to the Deepsea Dormitory and pack the things you couldn't take with you to the Promised Land into a large box, that he would deliver to you once you got settled in.

"Well, that should be everything. Once you find yourself settled in, I'll send it to you. I wish you the best of luck, young squire. Oh and before you go, I thank you for guiding us and lighting the way to our dreams. I should- probably stop myself whilst I'm here, I don't wish to make you cry, child. Anyway, safe travels- Hibiki.' Tearfully, he said goodbye. His 'speech' making you feel soft, you gave him a tight hug and thanked him for all he had done for you, wishing him farewell- for the last time.

You walked out into the hallway and looked around. "This will be the last time I'm here, how odd…" Suddenly you felt a hand on your shoulder, jumping slightly- you turned around and sighed. It was only Cap'n Cuttlefish. Who you saw was sporting a massive, child-like grin of joy, judging by the way his eyes were wrinkled and crinkled around the edges.

'Today's the big day bucko, you excited to get the heck out of here?' The Cap'n asked, whilst attaching the baby sling securely to his chest and making sure your little sister was secure- before walking down with you to the front entrance.

'I've always wanted to reach the Promised Land and to carry out their- her last wish. So to do that is just... just...' You stumbled over the last word and couldn't finish it, 'It's ok my boy, it'll come to you eventually...'. Coming up to the entrance, you looked around one last time and bid CQ-Cumber farewell- to which he did the same. You had already returned your issued clothing and other items that didn't belong to you, for you would no longer need it. As you walked out of the front doors, you swear you heard CQ-Cumber mutter something sadly, but you shook it off as you only imagining it and continued walking down the hallway.

You then both walked over to the centre of the platform, where all of the thangs were and the "missing poster" of Agent 3 was displayed on the phone. _**"Poor Maru, no one has seen him. Maybe he'll show up soo-"**_ A noise cut you off guard, you looked around for a minute before figuring out what it was. The phone.

The phone was ringing, to which you decided to answer it.

The phone started up before saying in its robotic voice, 'WHOOMP- THERE IT IS! You found the final thang! I am like, totes impressed, I wasn't sure you had the [ERROR] to pull it off! I will now guide you to the Promised Land. Let us bounce to the ounce.'. The phone then asked you three times, if you truly wanted to go to the Promised Land, and even join something bigger than yourself, all three times you said yes.

It would soon prove to be an error you would regret.

'Congratulations, number 10,008! The door to the promised land will now open!' As they said that, their handle at the side was turning by itself and rapidly- to the point of which it looked like it would come loose and it even made the 'poster' of Agent 3 fly away somewhere.

"_**Um, i-is this meant to happen?"**_ Sparks of electricity were coming out of them and the panel at the back of him fell off, or rather burst off with the sheer force against it- it let out a rather realistic screech. Before it produced enough electricity to control all four thangs, and placed what looked like a lid on its head first- as it rose in the air, it let out what appeared to be a war cry and cheery music could be heard from speakers somewhere.

However, in the mix of it all- you swore you could hear voices and screams mixed in amongst the music that went something along the lines of… "No, No-NO! Get away!"; "Don't make the same mistake!"; "You'll be doomed..."; "Don't go in, you must not go in!"

As the phone formed the gateway to the Promised Land, you noticed that Cap'n Cuttlefish- although excited, was also put at unease and held onto his cane and your little sister tighter. 'Please, step right inside! Here we go! Do not be shy!', 'Well bucko, let's get to the Promised Land- eh?' The old man's voice stuttered and fumbled slightly, he tried to appear calm, but you both knew you were panicking severely.

As you stepped inside, the door closed shut behind you slowly- 'W-wait a second! Is it just me or… Uh… Does that kinda look exactly like a blender?!' Marina spoke through the CQ-80, Pearl chimed in with an equally concerned voice as Marina. 'WHOA WHOA WHOA YEAH HOLD UP! This just got seriously sketchy!'

You felt slightly uncomfortable in the tight container with blades at the- _**"Wait a second, BLADES?!"**_. 'Uh, Cap'n- why are there blades at the top?!' You shouted, sounding anxious, the old man looked up twice and started to pound on the glass- you joining him. 'INGREDIENT ACQUISITION COMPLETE… REFORMATTING MATTER…'

"_**Oh Cod- please don't let this be the end!"**_

'HEY! What did that thing say?! You let us out of here, you stupid phone!' Cap'n Cuttlefish angrily shouted, not willing to go down without a fight. Red lights started to flash and the blades started to whirr and come down. During this fruitless panic of the two of you pounding on the glass, Marina had sent out a distress signal from your CQ-80 in the hopes that someone would answer it.

You certainly got an answer alright, for an Inkling who you presumed to be Agent 3 burst through the ceiling and had a collision course straight for the Telephone. Amazingly, you weren't sure if that was on purpose or not but that didn't matter now- for the glass was broken and both Agent 3 and the Telephone were out cold.

'Agent 3?! Is that really you? Where have you been?!' Cap'n Cuttlefish exclaimed, going over to look over the unconscious man before him. You were fairly unscathed from the incident, but the glass had re-opened the scar on your forehead and created new ones on your arms and lower torso. Your little sister was bawling her eyes out and Cap'n Cuttlefish started to comfort her, even though he had a few cuts and maybe a few bruises on him. _**"Cap'n, whilst I appreciate you comforting Aka. You're literally bleeding and there's a man who I presume to be Agent 3 out cold on the floor, a crying child is the least of your worries!" **_

"_**Aka seems to be ok aside from being frightened out of her wits the poor thing, oh! The sling- of course, it would've protected her. Thank Cod for that… Now- what to do…"**_

As you got up off the floor, you tried to look around for something to do. The hole in the ceiling felt like it had more to it. You looked back over at the others, you noticed that Agent 3 had a different model CQ-80 to you and Marina explained that it was an Employee Model, which meant that it most likely had the blueprints of the entire testing facility.

Cap'n Cuttlefish was about to say something but you interrupted him, 'Cap'n I need you to look after my little sister and Agent 3. I'll find us a way out of here, I promise!', 'Hibiki, wait! You need a-'. The old man was cut short for you had already super jumped through the hole that Agent 3 made.

You had super jumped to an area where there were many enemies ahead, the Cap'n scolded you for not having a weapon before advising you to turn off all communication links and go silent, and you quickly did so. _**"If I don't make it, please look after her- Cap'n…"**_

Praying silently, you stilled yourself before starting the first of your final missions. 'Follow me, I'll show you the way. Be careful…' the ghostly voice of a woman instructed, you saw a ghostly figure that you swore you had seen before and although you couldn't exactly make any noise- you wanted to thank her for her calming presence. Like the woman instructed, you had to be as quiet as possible and had to sneak through small puddles of ink within close proximity of other enemies. You were quite anxious during this phase- but the woman made sure you made it through without incident, and moved on safely to the next stage.

In the next area, you had to traverse across a widespread area of the storage area of the Testing Facility to find a weapon- 'This way- be careful. They'll keep spares around here…' She instructed, guiding you through an area separate from the main storage area, the Octoseeker allowing you to crush the wooden boxes and allow you to reach a key that unlocked a vault. Stepping on a flashing button, you opened up the door to an area on the left.

Filled with sanitized enemies, the woman guided you through the mazes of Inkrails and onto a platform where you had to get a sanitized Octotrooper to break open some wooden boxes. Coming through to a separate area, you had found a can with a Splat Bomb Sub inside of it. You then super-jumped back over to the area you started off in, throwing a Splat Bomb to activate a Gusher. Swimming back up to the top, you threw a bomb to activate an Ink Switch.

Practically sprinting across the small room, you slipped through the yellow grating and landed on a small platform below. You saw a fan-movable plstform with two small yellow fences beside it. You assumed that you had to use the bombs to propel the platform, whilst trying to avoid being crushed by a sanitized Octohurler. You had to do this many times until you had finally reached a platform below three Octohurlers on a moving platform.

'A weapon, go- take it!' The woman urged, you went for it and got an old Octoshot to use. _**"It's not ideal to use it, especially in this condition. But it will have to do!**_" You then inked up a wall to climb up it, to once again super-jump out of that area and into the main one. Rushing towards the area where you got the key, you ignored the Octoseeker behind you and inked up the wall, climbing up to a locked door with an Ink Switch and unlocking it.

Once again, you had to use Inkrails to get through to an Octosniper that was guarding a set of large gates. Taking them out, you unlocked it and was surprised to see a Launchpad to the next area. _**"Ok, I'm doing well. Now on to the next!"**_

Using this to escape to the next stage. You landed upon a still platform with railings, glancing around to see large holes of green goo; bodies of water meant for dissolving and mixed-material containers that held inactive Octotroopers meant for sanitization. _**"So… This is where it all happens- huh?"**_

This phase was slightly trickier, for you had to time traversing across moving platforms before they dropped into either the mass amount of thick, green goo or water. The woman who was guiding you had reminded you that the platforms with the railings weren't able to sink, so you would rest for a second or two upon them, before continuing to traverse your way through the labyrinth of cruel madness.

The woman helped to guide you steadily through it, keeping you balanced and safe. Especially when you had an Octo-Missile-Copter after you, trying to make you fall off and into the depths below, fortunately- it appeared that you had a guardian angel of sorts protecting you. Keeping you safe as you traversed through the facility.

You came to the end of the stage, defeated the enemies that were in front of the large gates and opened them to reveal a Launchpad, jumping into the Launchpad you went on to the next stage. _**"Goodness, these stages are awfully long… How many more will there be?"**_

The phase you just entered would probably be one of the hardest, for you had to dodge both stationary and moving Ink Beams for you to get to the next phase, slightly cutting your uniform and skin- you had made it through fairly unfazed.

Although your entirety ached, you knew that there were others depending upon you to get out alive, this keeping you motivated and eager to get through it all- no matter what it may have thrown towards you. You traversed on unaware, as the ghost of a woman became more visible as you had moved onto the next phase.

'I'm so proud of you my son, don't give up just yet!' The woman whispered to herself enthusiastically, you remaining blissfully unaware of what was to come.

The phase you had just entered was the easiest one, for you just had to use an Inkjet to release the locks to access an energy source, you almost forgot to turn your radio on again and once you did so- you were greeted with a very distressed voice.

'Hibiki, yo what happened- you went dead on us! Anyway, the phone did something wack and now 3, the old dude and the kid are gone!' Pearl practically shouted, you gasped and started to grow increasingly anxious as you went further through the phase and gradually released the locks that contained the energy source. _**"Aka; Mr Cuttlefish and Agent 3, oh please do be safe!"**_ The energy core then moved with a flash of light, Marina then encouraged you to follow it. You quickly asked her and Pearl to check up on the other three, before you moved onto the next phase, anxiousness growing in the pit of your stomach and gnawing at your insides.

Jumping onto an odd platform that was sterile white, you saw that the energy core was on a platform, that as you shot it- would power up and move the platform forward, similarly to the propeller-powered lifts that you used earlier. The energy source was also similar to the Orbs from previous tests, and you knew you had to protect them at all costs. Nearing the end, Pearl informed you that they had no luck contacting them, and Marina butted in with an explanation of how they might just be ahead waiting for you. _**"Oh I do certainly hope you're right Miss Ida, and I hope that the Telephone hasn't harmed them in any way… Please be safe, oh please be safe on all of my blessings!"**_

The platform then clicked into place and it powered up the elevator to the surface, mesmerised by the intricate architecture. You got off the platform and walked onto the elevator- taking note of how bright the lights were. _**"Is this the way to the Surface? It's… It's awfully empty, where are the others? Are they not-"**_ The elevator started to go up- slowly, and with you alone.

'Miss Pearl and Miss Ida, the others aren't here! Where are they?!' You asked, worried sick about what may have happened to them. Pearl calmed you down slightly by suggesting that they may have found another way up, she then started to talk about using a helicopter to rescue you all. Trying to distract you from it. Although she had found it to be a bad idea and initially disagreed with it, Marina relented and allowed her to do so- you curiously asked if anyone else was coming aside from them and the others, trying to distract yourself from the quietness of the elevator ride.

"_**It sure does get rather quiet once they're not around- it's a bit too quiet, even for my liking!"**_

'We'll have a medical team ready, as you all need to be cleared of any potential diseases before you're allowed into Inkopolis, we also have three others that are dying to see you all. Once you're being tended to by the medics, we'll let the others see you- o-oh uh…'. Her voice trailed off as the elevator suddenly stopped and came to a complete halt, 'Uhm, hold on, I need to check something- don't let your guard down.' She instructed as you gripped onto your weapon tighter and looked around for any potential threats, 'Yo, there's someone up there...' Pearl said, before Marina butted in 'Who is that? Is that? Agent 3...'.

You looked up and saw the same Inkling from earlier, although they were unconscious earlier, it was definitely Agent 3. But something was rather... Off...

The Inkling's dark blue hair was tied back practically and was blowing slightly in the wind, they wore a yellow and black uniform with a long and tattered dark grey cape that also blew slightly in the wind. They wore special headphones and on the left side was a bright, green, glowing mass attached to it that spread over their left eye- their natural orange eye colour was muddled in with a sickly blue-green.

"_**That looks like the person from the poster- that is definitely Agent 3!"**_ Next to them was a floating platform with Cap'n Cuttlefish tied upside down on the bottom of the platform _**"Oh no…"**_, you heard a baby crying and saw a glimpse of a metal box on top of the platform- you realised that your little sister was most likely in there... _**"No…"**_

'Agent 8, Agent 3's mind was hi-jacked by that phone! Don't worry about me- just take down Agent 3 and get rid of that weird glowing goo on their head!' Cap'n Cuttlefish shouted, before you dodged out of the way to avoid an oncoming attack from Agent 3. He jumped down onto the elevator with a Splashdown. Using a Curling Bomb Launcher he quickly swarmed the stage in sickly green ink, you tried to attack him but he was able to dodge roll even though he wasn't even using any Dualies.

'Seriously, this is way too many specials…' Pearl announced, annoyed over how many specials Agent 3 had used within the few minutes he was on the elevator. _**"The amount of specials he's using, wait a minute- the limiter! Oh no, he could be seriously injured!"**_ 'Miss Ida, make sure you have someone on the medical team who has dealt with Special Weapon Overload- Agent 3's turned off the limiter!' Trying to avoid being splatted, you ran and swam around Agent 3 in a loop- relaying the message to Marina.

'On it, Pearl- you need to contact the others, tell them what's going on! You overheard Pearl agreeing and getting up quickly, ignoring the rest of the conversation. You went ahead and went all out on Agent 3. Simply dodging their attacks and attacked when the woman told you to. From hiding behind or going atop small obstacles, to even throwing Splat Bombs when he was atop the floating platform- you had weakened him down until his breathing became ragged and heavy.

'Now, hes weak- aim for the goo on his head!' The woman ordered, you took a deep breath and cringed as your hand wrapped around the goo, pulling at it to try and get it off. Agent 3 started to screech, his words a mixture between 'Get it off!' and 'It hurts!'. It was rather chilling to hear his voice between normality and distortion. 'I'm terribly sorry Agent 3, but- this might hurt just a bit!' Apologizing sincerely for what you were about to do, you ripped the goo forcefully off of his skin. You quickly dropped it in disgust as you looked up at Agent 3's pained face.

'Thanks- I think I'm just, just gonna-' Without any other warning, Agent 3 passed out onto the floor. You looked over them quickly, aside from them passing out from exhaustion due to the possible Special Weapon Overload, they were otherwise fine- at least it looked to be that way. _**"Aside from the scar on their eye and being overloaded, they should be just fine- hopefully!"**_

The platform quickly floated over to the elevator and you released Cap'n Cuttlefish and your little sister from their restraints, upon doing so. The elevator started up again and you took to comforting your little sister, whilst Cap'n Cuttlefish started properly tending to Agent 3. 'Im not sure if Maru will be very upset, or very happy to see you-' Cap'n Cuttlefish joked as Agent 3 drifted in and out of consciousness.

'Maru- where is he, when can I-' Rei asked, trying to stay awake and get up. Cap'n Cuttlefish got him to lie down again, not saying anything about Maru in case Agent 3 decided to try and do something he shouldn't do. You looked up and saw a rather long ladder, you laughed slightly. "Of course there had to be a ladder, with a man whose trying to find some else even though he's probably severely injured. This doesn't get any easier huh?"

You got to certain point and the elevator stopped completely, this time without any surprise, and started to climb up it with your little sister on your chest and your weapon attached to your waist- whilst Cap'n Cuttlefish attached his cane to his waist and hoisted Agent 3 over his shoulder and climbed up also. "_**How can he climb up a ladder- with a fully grown man over his shoulder?"**_ You looked down at your chest for a brief moment before continuing the mountainous climb, _**"To be fair- well at least this is easier, so I'll count my blessings when I can and not question it."**_

(I think you forgot about how Inklings can turn into their Squid From whenever they want really, that's probably how Agent 3 managed to get up to the Surface even though we see them passed out again on the helicopter platform…)

You got to the top and opened a hatch, immediately met with a blinding light- that you realised was sunlight, and climbed gingerly to the exit. _**"So this is the Surface? This is sunlight- the sunlight that everyone described to me and talked about? Hmm…" **_Taking everything in around you, you were left in awe. 'It's- it's beautiful… I wish you could see it too mother…' You wished, stepping further away from the hatch.

You were also met with a rather strong wind that blew your hair so viciously, that you had to fix it to stop it from getting in your eyes- not long after Cap'n Cuttlefish joined you on the surface. He groaned about how he was getting too old to carry heavy things, and you laughed. 'You don't seem to mind carrying her do you?' Pointing at your little sister who had settled down and fell asleep, a sharp contrast to the night's previous activities.

'Well no it's- wait… Hush now! I can hear something…' He argued but quickly fell silent, listening out for something. _**"He's right, I do hear something. Where is it coming from? Wait a minute is that- music? And- helicopter blades? Multiple helicopter blades?"**_

From the distance, the faint sound of music coming through speakers and the whirr of helicopter blades was heard. Looking up you saw a multitude of helicopters, including brightly decorated one with stage lights and neon signs. _**"Heli? Goodness! I only expected one to show up, not a whole army!"**_

You heard a voice from a microphone shout- 'Eight! We got you!' You looked up and saw two people, a short woman dressed in a pink and yellow hooded sweater dress with pink holographic platform shoes, many rings and a pink chrome crown with a few jewels on it- they were a pale skinned-golden eyed Inkling with a short bob haircut with an overly short fringe and pink tips. That was most definitely Pearl.

The other person was a taller woman standing next to Pearl dressed in a white sleeveless crop top with teal capris, along with a wrist watch and bracelet that were black in colour, silver and white bowed flat shoes and a large patterned white bandana was tied over a pair of headphones, they were a dark skinned- sea green eyed Octoling. You recognised her, it was Chief Engineer, Marina Ida.'

"_**It's nice to see you again Miss Ida, everyone was happy that you made here safely…"**_

(For context, Hibiki saw the newspaper in the Octo Expansion, and combined with Marina and Pearl talking to him briefly earlier on in the story- Chapter 5, Part 2. That's how he knows about the different fashion styles they're sporting.)

The helicopter was lowered and you and your group got onto a platform, underneath the same helicopter and started to rise up. You handed your little sister to Cap'n Cuttlefish who started looking after her and Agent 3 was passed out behind you, Pearl and Cap'n Cuttlefish started having a rap battle and Marina sighed before muttering 'Here they go again...'

Laughing at their charades, you thought you were safe, you thought it was all over. Unfortunately- you were wrong.

Oh- so wrong…

Chapter 7, Part 2, End.


	17. Chapter 8

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

'You were unusually calm upon seeing her- your lungs were suddenly filled with the salty, yet refreshing, air of the ocean'

As our main characters journey comes to an end, what will be waiting for him once he arrives in the Promised Land?

Chapter 8

A large rumble erupted from below, looking down, gasping loudly, alerting the others to look down as well. It was as if though a mythical monster from human history was rising up out of the ocean to reap havoc upon the world. You squinted to get a better look at the entrance hatch you exited out of moments prior, starting to rise up, revealing a large statue made up of various panels with glowing lights in between the cracks.

"_**W-what in the name of-"**_

'What...is... that?!' Pearl asked, her tone was of shock and showed a great deal of concern. 'That form… But they were said to have been destroyed so long ago... It's...' Cap'n Cuttlefish mused, before blurting out suddenly, 'HUMAN!'

"_**Human? Is it a relic from eras before our time that has long since been repurposed? Hmm, it looks like it- and I don't necessarily like it…"**_

The statues right eye was open and inside was the Telephone, surrounded by papers with a large red flower on them, displaying a great achievement of sorts. _**"Those must be my test results, and there's full marks on all of them- why does it need them? Oh cod-"**_ Tensing up in preparation for a fight, you looked at the Statue with a pure look of complete and utter disgust. It was one of the most disgusting things you had seen in your life, a mere speck of garbage upon the world.

The Telephone had a large amount of the DNA sludge covering its 'face', with a blue-green tentacle poking out of it on the top. _**"It has truly become corrupted, hasn't it?"**_ Mere metres away from it, the helicopter was brought close enough to hear it say the following.

'TARTAR IN DA HOUSE! [DISABLING CONTEMPORARY SPEECH MODE]. I am TARTAR, an AI construct created by a brilliant professor 12,000 years ago. My prime directive is to pass humanity's vast knowledge on to the next worthy life form. When your kind finally became self-aware, I hoped my long wait was over...' The phone then went on about how they were disgusted with how your kind had evolved, essentially complaining about how you had all focused on fashion and minor genetic deviations.

"Oh sure, as if a large society kept underground; hidden away from the rest of the world and ruled over by a merciless dictator. Would have a single clue about fashion, to the point of fighting over it… Oh please- most of us wear uniforms; traditional clothing or whatever scraps we find from the Inklings dumping it into mass holes because of their 'fast fashion'."

'If we did have a clue, then we would probably all gossip like those Inkling high-school girls and their fashion magazines. Hmph, give it a rest and stop putting us into a box you complete and utter buffoon.' Muttering away to yourself, you were rather annoyed with having to listen to it go on and on- merely waiting for it to shut up so you could get rid of it and finally get to the Promised Land.

(When you're that done with the plans of an evil company, that you're willing to destroy its biggest asset just so you can get to the Promised Land to see your best friend and rest.)

'And so I created a new prime directive: destroy this world and start anew! From the best and brightest test subjects, I created a sludge of supreme DNA...'

The very mention of test subjects, made you see red. Blood red. You thought of your beloved mother who had been taken from her life far too early- and transformed into a ghost of the woman she once was. Along with all of those poor, unfortunate people who came before you and suffered the same, grizzly and barbaric fate as your mother…

Oddly, you felt rather sorry for the Statue in front of you, for you knew that you would make sure that every last bit of it was destroyed, so long as it meant that everyone who lived or had passed on in the Metro would be freed and allowed to start anew. Whilst the ones who had passed, would be able to pass on and go into the afterlife happily- happy that they would no longer be stuck there.

"_**Mother- I will make sure that your spirit will be freed, if it's the last thing I do… Then so be it!"**_

Tightly, you held onto your weapon, looking down at the floor with an empty look upon your face. Still and neutral, no visible emotion to the naked eye. Upon further inspection, one could deduce that you were planning. Yes, planning… Planning for the inevitable showdown between you and the Statue, the fierce confrontation of the subject and examiner. Your final test as part of your 80+ Missions.

No longer listening to whatever else they said or what the others around you may have said. You focused upon the smell of the ocean, that were as salty as the tears of sorrow you had shed not that long ago. You made a promise that you weren't sure that you would be able to keep, a promise to yourself not to cry until the very end. Coming back to focus, you finally looked up at the statue again, only to get even angrier over the following sight.

The mouth of the statue started to open wide- a large cannon started to come out of it. It was made up of many smaller blenders, only to make up one large blender. All containing one thing, the mass amount of DNA sludge made up of past test subjects- including your mother. Disgusted, you started to bite down on your teeth, ready to get it over and done with.

Pearl asked in shock and fear, 'Yo... What the heck is that?!'. 'Gimme a sec... I'm analysing it.' Marina started to type away frantically on a device you hadn't encountered before, with Pearl hopping from foot to foot in agitation.

You stood there as still as ever, whilst Cap'n Cuttlefish held onto your little sister and rested one of his old hands over Agent 3's open palm- and began to pray quickly under his breath. 'I'm picking up a massive amount of energy emanating from the statue.' Calm as always, Marina explained, whereas her opposite announced in a voice of panic. 'Uh... That doesn't sound good.' You could hear her audibly swallow, and her breathing started to quicken.

'So yeah... That statue is charging up enough energy to destroy the entire world.' She stated calmly, her opposite was far from calm as she announced loud as , in a tone of pure and utter panic. 'HOW DO WE STOP IT?!'. 'Hmm... Let's see...' You looked up and saw her turning the screen of the device towards you, it was open on an art program- or at least you assumed that it was an art program.

Marina then went on to explain how the statue was absorbing sunlight to charge itself up until it had enough energy to fire the cannon, and that covering it in ink would stop it- the 'hyper-bombs' she had would be used to fully cover the statue, and even though they were prototypes- they were the best option available. Whilst you covered the statue, Pearl would warm up her vocal cords, before letting out a 'battle cry'. Drawings on the screen displayed the plan and at the end- a timer with '3:00' on it indicated how long you had to cover the statue, and for Pearl to warm up her vocal cords.

"Looks like this is it, Captain, look after them for me please...' As you turned around one last time, and instructed the old man to look after the unconscious man; your little sister; and the two women who helped you escape in the first place. You then super-jumped to a spawn point as they all bid you good luck and farewell.

For there was no going back after this.

Landing down onto the launch pad, you made your way to the statues chest. True to her plan, Marina released the first batch of bombs on the statues chest. Firing quick bursts of ink to detonate the bombs- you began covering the statue with bright violet ink within mere seconds. Marina then released the second set of hyper-bombs onto the statues neck, you replacing the blank slate of its neck with the colours seen in a flower.

Moving onto the statues back, you had detonated all of the bombs and started to head for the statues right arm then the head. As you detonated the last bomb on the head you felt like you could relax when a panicked voice from the radio disturbed you. 'Oh no! The Octoshot must've not detonated a bomb on the back… You need to get down there now Hibiki!' Marina yelled, her voice fading out as a familiar song played and you heard voices arguing.

Going around the loop of the top, you saw one of the helicopters doors slide open roughly. A mere mirage, you thought you saw a glimpse of your mother before it quickly faded and revealed a woman with what looked like a formal black and green kimono, you couldn't make out much more of her as she shot the remaining bomb with what looked like a charger and closed the door again.

"She reminds me of her…"

Unusually, you felt calmed upon seeing her- your lungs were suddenly filled with the salty, yet refreshing, air of the ocean. You swore that you had felt a faint wetness flow down your cheeks, but you just chalked that up to the perspiration and mist from the sea. Falling off the ride rail surrounding the Statues head to almost meet with a helicopter platform, you saw the ghosts of your parents. Your father was now wearing a white burial kimono similar to your mother, but with flatter wooden sandals and shorter white socks. His ink and eye colour were faded slightly, but you could see that they were still pastel orange and red respectively. And as you super-jumped back to the large, helicopter where your 'group' was- they followed you and waited beside you.

You landed with a slide and supported yourself as you stopped the recoil. Looking up at Marina, you saw her face contorted into panic. 'Energy readings don't indicate a full charge, but it looks like it's going to fire anyway!' As if right on cue and despite a mild protest from Marina, Pearl jumped down onto the platform below, Pearl playfully punched your shoulder and said 'Great work, Eight- I got it from here.'

She then gave you a thumbs up and wink, before facing the statue and yelling, 'AYO, STATUE!' her hair glowing a bright pink. Somehow, she brought out a large custom, special weapon that was native to the Inklings and had long since been made illegal. The Killer Wail. _**"Sweet mother of Cod!"**_

You started at in awe and saw Cap'n Cuttlefish scurry over and hand you your little sister, before hopping from foot to foot and waving his cane in excitement. (Well he is the hype man, he's trying to live up to his name!) Pearl took a deep breath, before letting out the most impressive battle cry you had ever heard in your twelve years of life. 'Boo-YAAAAAAHHHHHH!'

The Killer Wail then released a bright pink beam to rival the statues own sickly green, and eventually overpowered it. Resulting in the statue breaking open like a vase smashed onto the ground during a violent earthquake, along with sending all of the DNA sludge and presumably "TARTAR" into the ocean. _**"It's- it's over! It's finally over!"**_

Marina jumped down and hugged Pearl tightly, to the point of knocking her over, Cap'n Cuttlefish laughed jovially and stopped dancing before he sat down breathlessly- facing towards the city. _**"We did this- all of us. You too Agent 3…"**_

You stood next to him and looked over your shoulder to see Pearl and Marina going to sit and stand near you, you turned around further to see Agent 3 waking up and blinking his eyes open- they were a deep orange and one on them was faded roughly where the goo had been. You smiled at them, and they nodded in response- before taking a place near Cap'n Cuttlefish. 'My head is killing me- cod the sun is bright… How long was I passed out?' Muttered Agent 3, raising his hands to his eyes to block out the bright light.

'Guys, look! The sun's rising!' Pearl exclaimed, her voice, although hoarse- was excited. You looked toward the city and saw one of the most beautiful things in existence. The cold blues of the previous evening were beginning to mix with the warm orange; pink; and yellow of the morning sun- along with the black shadows of the tall city buildings in the distance. Creating a beautiful landscape only seen in the dreams conjured up by your parents

You were overcome with emotion and as you looked down at your little sister, who had just awoken from her slumber- yawned and began to open her eyes. You let out silent tears of victory and joy, you managed to keep your promise to not cry until the very end. _**"I'm here… I'm really here!"**_

She blinked slowly- before opening her eyes fully, noticing the brightness of the sun, and looking towards the city. Her bright red eyes, shone like precious jewels that are the colour of love and blood. Her pale features and short pastel orange hair illuminated against the sun's rays, causing her to look similar to a picture. _**"She looks so cute!"**_

'Hibiki, now that you're on the surface, what are you going to name her?' Cap'n Cuttlefish asked, he looked towards you, directed towards your little sister and smiled- his voice and eyes were warm and inviting like the sun. You looked down at her again, and noticed her looking intently at the city- almost enthralled by the sheer beauty of the scene.

'I wanted to name her after the first thing she saw- so her name will be... Akatsuki...' You answered and smiled at the name, 'Akatsuki... yes, that's her name...'. The small group of people around you were happy for you, and as you all flew towards the city- you looked back and saw your parents smiling at you, hand in hand. You smiled, and waved before turning around again...

'That's the name he told you, isn't it?' The man asked 'Yes dear, it is.' The woman replied, looking at her partner and smiling- tightening the grip of her hand around his. 'I'm so proud of him... Now my child, go fourth...' The woman began. 'And step into the light...' The couple said together, before laughing; embracing and fading away...

Chapter 8, End.


	18. Bonus

**Into the Light- Echoes of the Past**

''You must be Hibiki, yes?' The doctor asked, you nodded and he got you to sit down'

Our main character has arrived in the Promised Land, and is treated by a group of doctors before he will be allowed clearance into Inkopolis. How will he react to a startling revelation, in regards to his little sister?

BONUS!

As soon as the helicopter landed in the main land, you were escorted by security guards to a large room inside of a warehouse. Inside of the mostly empty building, a temporary medical unit was set up, with all of the equipment necessary to examine you and your group.

Pearl and Marina went first, as their examination would have been much shorter. They were checked for any infections and possible illnesses they could have contracted by coming into contact with you, when they were given the all clear, they bid you farewell as they left to attend to other matters. _**"I think they do the news or something like that now, at least that's what trickled down the rumour mill back home…"**_

Cap'n Cuttlefish was next- he was given a much more thorough examination and was even given a few vaccination shots to make sure he wouldn't get sick, due to his lengthy experience spent in the Deepsea Metro. Any cuts and bruises he had were also looked at and treated, and after 30 minutes- he was free to have visitors.

Two women came in, one of whom was the one you saw from the helicopter. Upon closer inspection, her skin was very pale- similar to yours. Her white hair with green tips was tied up neatly, she wore small, silver hoop earrings in her ears- which were curved slightly similar to Cap'n Cuttlefish's.

The other woman had long black hair with pink tips, that was kept under a pink beanie with a yellow star on it and like the other woman- she wore silver earrings in her ears which were also similar to Cap'n Cuttlefish's. She wore a pink cardigan over a white t-shirt and black tank top, with matching black shorts, pink socks and brown boots.

The more casual of the woman ran towards Cap'n Cuttlefish, and began crying as she hugged him- 'Callie he only just got here, you should let him rest.' The formal woman sighed, Cap'n Cuttlefish smiled as he looked up at her and said. 'Hello Mar dear, how have you-'.

The formal woman then lost her strong composure- which had crumbled down like an old building made of dry brick, and hugged Cap'n Cuttlefish tightly like the other woman before crying as well. The old man laughed weakly and gave them a hug in return, telling them not to cry anymore.

"_**Those must be his granddaughters, Callie and Marie... They look more familiar now, unlike"**_ You were then called by a Dr to be examined. You were given a very extensive examination, for you were weighed; had your blood taken; any and all available medical documentation taken; had your teeth checked and marked alongside your medical documentation, had your bruises, scars, cuts and your back checked over and treated accordingly, had your ears and eyes checked; along with a series of booster vaccinations up both your arms and legs so you wouldn't get sick. It took an hour and a half before you were cleared, and allowed to see your little sister.

"_**I hope she's ok, I don't like to leave her alone for too long…"**_

To your surprise, Maru was sitting by the bedside of Agent 3 who appeared to be sleeping slightly, he had collapsed again on the way here so he was checked over as soon as you had all arrived. 'Agent 4... Where's my little sister?' You asked quietly, the man had looked up at you and answered. 'Hibiki, you don't have to call me that anymore- you can call me Maru now. You're not in the Metro anymore, you're here now yeah?'

He paused and looked at you caringly before you nodded and continued. 'Your little sister is still being tended to- they want to ask you a few questions actually. You'll find them over there.' He pointed towards an area that was padded and child-safe. Thanking him, you walked over. Your little sister was playing with some brightly coloured beads on a wooden abacus- you noticed the small bandages on her arm and guessed they were from the vaccinations and blood taking.

The doctor watching her beckoned you over and held his hand out for you to shake it, you took it and he shook it gently. 'You must be Hibiki, yes?' The doctor asked, you nodded and he got you to sit down, 'Is anything wrong?' You asked, worried that there was something wrong.

The doctor looked at you seriously, before pulling out a clip board and pen- and started to ask you questions like. 'Does your little sister have problems with her hearing, if so- has she shown any signs?' You thought about the questions carefully, before deciding to answer.

'She never really responded to sound, I always knew that she acknowledged someone's presence and could tell when someone was speaking. But, she would never fully respond, I wasn't sure if it was a developmental thing- as she only opened her eyes today and sometimes children develop faster or slower than others, or if there is something wrong with her...'. The doctor wrote down your answer, he then went on to explain.

'The best way to describe the current situation based on what little we know, is that she was most likely born deaf in both ears. Although, it's not certain yet- and she'll need to be properly looked at by a specialist to be properly diagnosed. But based on what we have found from her auditory and sight tests, her eyesight is perfectly fine- but it's her hearing that we need to keep an eye on.'

"_**Will this impact her future? What about school? Jobs? Her interactions with others…"**_ As you processed this information, you didn't realise that Maru had sat beside you and startled you by placing a hand on your shoulder. 'Will she be able to get a hearing aid, if at all?' Maru asked, looking directly at the doctor, the doctor paused before explaining again. 'Whilst that is possible, many things are still uncertain, especially this early on- so it's better to get a specialist to look at her and get a proper diagnosis. I am a doctor, but I can only do general stuff- this is a case where it needs to be handled with more care.'

"_**A hearing aid? That sounds good at least…"**_

You thanked him for his time, and he gave you a few leaflets and papers about deafness in young children and how to be referred for it. Maru had picked up your little sister as carefully as he could and waited for you, before you had followed him back to Agent 3's bedside.

You decided to sit down whilst Maru continued to stand up- he then placed your little sister gently onto Agent 3's chest and she crawled towards his face and watched him- fascinated. Agent 3 had started to come to and as he lifted his hand, you tensed up in anticipation. Instead- you were met with Agent 3 rubbing his large, thin hand on her head and she started to giggle in joy. 'Who's this ray of sunshine?' He asked, his voice was tired and rough, yet content in the situation. 'Go on, tell him.' Maru said gently, and beckoned towards him. You looked away from him shyly and stuttered out, 'Her name's Akatsuki...'

'Hmm, I see. You named her after the first thing she seen, correct?' You nodded yes in response, and he got you to look directly at him before he continued. 'You picked a good name kid, it suits her.' He smiled and you looked away, embarrassed. Maru laughed lightly before he picked up a bag and opened it up at the bottom of the bed, he pulled out a white headband; a yellow t-shirt, shorts with an adjustable bottom at the ends of the legs and a pair of flat cream shoes.

He handed them to you so you could see if they fit- they did and you folded the clothes up neatly before putting them back in the bag, he then pulled out a simple baby onesie and placed it on top of your little sister- to see if it fit. After a few seconds, he decided that it did and put it away again.

'Alright kid, let's go. Rei, can you move?'. Maru said, as he was handed your little sister by Rei, who sat up carefully- before getting out of the hospital bed gingerly. He was dressed in a much comfier looking black hoodie with gold writing on it, along with some athletic shorts. He was barefoot and Maru took out a pair of navy blue slip-on shoes from the bag and handed it to him, once he put them on- he intertwined his hand with Maru's free hand and began walking out of the warehouse.

You tagged along and noticed how Rei and Maru seemed to be content- Maru's eyes were slightly red as though he had been crying earlier, yet Rei's were soothing and warm_**. "They must love each other a lot..."**_ You thought deeply- but you were broken out of that spell as you had to run slightly to catch up with them, due to you falling behind. It took 30 minutes to get to an apartment, which is where you presumed Rei and Maru lived- your assumptions were correct as Maru pulled out a key and unlocked the front door.

The entrance was simple yet traditional, with an area to leave shoes below a small step- beyond that was the living room and kitchen along with two hallways, Rei had flopped down on the sofa and rested; whilst Maru showed you to the bathroom. The bathroom was large enough to fit three people in it, with a separate area for bathing and washing/drying clothes along with a toilet and sink.

Maru handed you your little sister whilst he opened the bag from earlier and pulled out the same items before setting them down on a counter minus the shoes which went on the floor, he then pulled out a towel from a closet and set it beside the shower area- before he started to fill up the sink with warm water and began undressing your little sister.

'Why don't you have a shower? You can use the soap and shampoo there, someone's coming over to see you later- shout if you need anything alright?' Maru asked and explained- as he set about washing your little sister, 'Ok... thank you...'.

You replied, timidly closing the door and preparing to shower. After 15 or so minutes, you were fully clean and dried, and as you opened the door slightly to grab the clothes on the counter- you were surprised to find that Maru was gone and a can of scentless deodorant was in his place, you gingerly stepped out and took the clothes and deodorant into the shower room and closed the door again. You changed into the clothes and as you walked out, you looked in the mirror and at yourself.

Your light purple hair stood out against the white and yellow of the clothing, the scar on your forehead was covered by the white headband and overall- you looked like a completely different person, an echo of the boy that you were in the Metro. _**"How odd… It's like the person I was in the Metro and before, is gone- hmm…"**_ You timidly opened the door, and smelt something delicious. You quietly walked out of the bathroom and down the hall into the shared living room and kitchen.

Maru was frying something in a pan and a pot was filled with what you assumed to be a broth or something similar, whilst Rei was lying down on the dark blue sofa- with your little sister asleep on top of him. It looked rather homely, and the sight made you feel warm inside. Suddenly, you heard the front door opening and a feminine voice called out- 'I'm home!' _**"A girl, who is she?"**_

To which Maru answered, 'Hey, welcome home. Lunch will be ready in a few minutes if you want to wash your hands first.' The girl responded with a simple 'Ok.', you then heard her take of a pair of shoes before she walked into the main area, 'Aw! She's so cute, what's her name?' Cooing at the sight of your little sister, before Rei or Maru could answer. You stepped out of the shadows and into the bright room, 'That's Akatsuki...' You muttered shyly.

The older girl gasped and practically ran towards you, she put her hands on your cheeks and squished them as she said loudly. 'Dad! You didn't tell me we were gonna have two new kids here, adorable ones at that!'. _**"Dad? Maru and Rei are, Dads? I didn't know they had a child…"**_ She was then quickly shushed by Maru as he pointed at the two people on the couch- one of whom was asleep and the other resting.

'Natsu, you can worry about introductions later. Go and wash your hands, you too Hibiki.' Maru instructed, with the tone taken on by a parent. Natsu groaned before trudging her way into the bathroom and you followed her. As you were waiting for her to finish washing her hands, you took note of her appearance- she was a fairly tall Inkling around the ages of 14; 15 or even 16.

Her skin was quite light and her eyes were a bright and vibrant blue; her hair was bright yellow and had orange-pink ends; it was styled in a volumous pony-tail with a ribbon tied in it; she wore a grey cardigan that was tied around her waist with a short sleeve white shirt and a loose colourful ribbon around the collar, she had a pleated navy skirt with shorts peeking out underneath the hem and white socks that were as loose and volumous as her hair. _**"Her uniform isn't done properly! Do Inklings style things like this as well?"**_

She had a few hair-ties around her left wrist and she had bright pink clip-on earrings in her pointed ears. Her personality shone through like a bright summers day, hence her bubbly, excitable and sweet personality that also had notes of responsibility and deep-seeded caring. _**"She seems really sweet, but rather energetic for my liking…"**_

'Hey, you ok? You kinda spaced out there a bit, bud...' Natsu asked whilst she dried her hands on a fluffy hand towel, you nodded no and moved to wash your own hands- she handed you the towel and left the room. _**"She seems really nice, is everyone here this nice?"**_ After you washed your hands, you noticed that the kitchen table was set up with multiple bowls, plates and a large pitcher with some cups- some empty and others filled with food or drink.

You walked over and sat down at the table beside an empty chair, Maru and Natsu were sitting across from you and had started to help themselves to the spread of food. In the pot was a broth filled with colourful vegetables, thick noodles and soft tofu; on a plate next to the pot was a small portion of fried mushrooms, whilst other plates contained side portions like pickled vegetables or even an egg and spinach omelette.

The pitcher contained water, which you were thankful for. For although you were grateful for being given clothes and food, it was rather overwhelming for you- and you weren't sure how to feel about the situation just yet. _**"Am I going to stay here with Aka? Is this our new home? Will they be our parents, and Natsu my sister?"**_

'Stuck for choice?' Natsu asked whilst helping herself to more of the broth, you nodded and she lifted your bowl, filling it up with a decent sized portion of the broth before adding some fried mushroom on top and mixing it around with the broth to add flavour; she then set it down and grabbed your side plate- adding some of the pickled vegetables and salted edamame onto one before picking up a plate meant for sauces and dips; putting two 'slices' of the omelette onto it.

She then refilled everyone's water before motioning for you to start eating, you decided to try the broth first, taking a small amount on a spoon and lifting up the noodles with a pair of chopsticks before eating them at the same time. The taste was simply heavenly, the spices and the flavours combined into a rich feast for the senses, so much so- that it wasn't long until you had finished your lunch and were filled to the brim with food. **"The food was really nice, rather different to the food I had in the Metro and before…"**

Maru began putting the food into containers, whilst you started to help Natsu clear up and do the dishes. _**"This is rather nice, I could get used to this…"**_ . Natsu then showed you to your room, where you were going to be staying. It was simple and plain, with a bed; nightstand; wardrobe and desk in it. 'Here, why don't you lie down for a bit? Dad will call you later, ok?' Pointing to the plush bed, she got you to lie down, leaving you alone in the room.

"_**A small rest couldn't hurt… This bed is actually, really nice…"**_ Dozing off, you fell asleep, unaware of the pleasant surprise waiting for you when you would eventually wake up.

It wasn't until an hour or so later that Maru called for you, asking you to come into the living room. You assumed that it was related to what he mentioned to you earlier before you had a shower, and so you got up, meeting him at the door and being surprised when he asked you to close your eyes as he led you to the living room.

Led by him, you were told to wait in a specific spot, hearing the front door open, you swore you heard the voice of someone familiar to you. 'Ok, open your eyes.' Rei and Maru said in unison, taking their hands away and as you blinked your eyes. You were greatly surprised, asking quietly. 'Tsuyo?'

'H-Hibiki?' Tsuyo asked, shock showing up clearly on her face. 'Hibiki!' Tsuyo squealed in delight, before rushing towards you and hugging you- knocking you onto the floor in the process. She was crying tears of joy, and you comforted her as you laughed in happiness- causing her to eventually join you. 'How did you get here? I can't believe you're here! You're really here!' She gushed out, still crying- you put your hands on her cheeks and wiped away her tears before keeping them there and comforting her.

'I know, it's kind of odd... but I'm glad to see you. Hey now, dry those tears- let's enjoy this. Like we promised each other we would when I would get here, remember?'. You smiled at her and gave her a quick hug, placing your hands on her shoulders. 'Y-yeah, let's make the most of it.' She said- wiping away the last of her tears with her sleeve and smiling brightly like a star. You then helped each other to your feet, before Maru set up a games console for you both to play on, since you were to be placed on a 'bed-rest' alongside Rei for two weeks to recover from your time in the Metro.

'Since you can't really participate in a real battle yet, this is the next best thing we came up with, have fun you two!' Maru called, going to lie down with Rei and Aka, whilst Natsu would watch over you two, playing a game that was only released today. It was apparently an addition to a previously existing game, a sequel of sorts.

It was called, Splatoon 2.

Bonus, End.


End file.
